okay so... am i the only one who didn’t love this? 😅 i swear i really wanted to like the COSRX Aloe Soothing Sun Cream SPF50 PA+++ — like the name itself sounds gentle and healing and like a hug for your face?? but um... my skin kinda hated it 🫠

so for context i have combo skin (oily forehead/nose, dry cheeks/chin) and i’m very sensitive. also i’m a big fan of The Boyz (like obsessed 🥲), and one of my mutuals in a fan gc said she uses this sunscreen all the time and swears by it. she bought it from Olive Young’s global store and said it’s her holy grail, so i was like “bet” and ordered it off Amazon for around $14.

when it arrived i was super excited—like tearing-open-the-box excited. the texture was actually really promising at first! smooth, creamy, not thick or greasy-feeling. it blended out easily and didn’t leave a white cast (yay), which is usually my biggest issue with sunscreens. it had a super faint aloe scent, which didn’t bother me (i’m usually scent-sensitive too). so first impression? cute, right?

…but then we hit hour 2. 😩

my face got SO shiny, like borderline reflective. it wasn’t a healthy glow, it was full-on oil slick. i looked like i ran a marathon in 90-degree weather, but i had just been sitting at my desk doing homework. plus, the sunscreen felt like it never really set—it stayed kinda tacky, which made wearing a mask extra gross. the inside of my mask was like… damp. ew.

and THEN i started breaking out. 😭

not major cysts or anything, but little under-the-skin bumps along my cheeks and jawline. i gave it like four days to “adjust” but honestly it just kept making my skin feel congested. this was the only new product i had introduced that week, so i feel like it had to be the culprit.

i know a lot of people say this is good for sensitive skin, and maybe it is if you’re dry or live in a colder climate or something. but for me, in spring weather with combo/oily skin? it was a no. also, i wouldn’t say it broke me out horribly, but the texture changes + oil buildup made me uncomfortable enough to stop using it completely.

i also noticed that the finish under makeup was... meh. foundation looked kinda patchy on top, like the sunscreen made it too slippy. and when i reapplied midday, it got worse—like smearing product around instead of absorbing anything. 😵

the bottle’s cute and travel-friendly tho. and it is affordable. i’ll give it that. but honestly i’d rather spend a bit more on something that doesn’t make my skin feel like a glazed donut that fell on the subway floor.

also, if you like matte or velvet finishes, you’re gonna hate this. it’s dewy af, bordering on sticky. if i accidentally touched my face throughout the day, i’d end up with fingerprint dents in my cheeks. not even kidding.

i ended up switching back to my trusty Round Lab Birch Moisturizing Sunscreen and it’s been sooo much better. lighter, more matte, zero breakouts. lesson learned: not every “soothing” sunscreen is soothing for everyone 💀

ㅤ

TLDR:

🌿 nice texture at first

💦 turns into grease city

😭 minor breakouts and clogged-feeling

😷 doesn’t play well with masks

💄 bad under makeup

🧴 wouldn’t repurchase tbh

if you’re dry and need a sunscreen that doubles as a moisturizer, maybe you’ll vibe with this. but for sensitive/oily combo skin? beware. this ain’t it.