The skincare products I feel the least conflicted about recommending are cleansers and SPFs – even if you don’t really care about your appearance, these two items are still important and many people don’t use them or use bad ones. I’m a relatively recent convert to regular sunscreen use myself, but I have been pretty good about it in the last five years. And that’s largely because I discovered first Japanese and then Korean and Australian* SPFs.

For me, Asian sunscreens are far superior to the European ones, not to mention the US versions that are limited in terms of filters that can be used. This is slowly changing (and I have a Western version of this post coming up), but I much prefer Asian SPFs to, say, some much-lauded French brands. They are lightweight, have no white cast, have high level of protection – they rarely bother with less than SPF50 – and tend to use chemical filters, which is also my preference. It can be difficult to choose among the many options, however, especially if one is forced to buy things online without testing. So let me try to help.

Ultra Violette Supreme Screen Hydrating Facial Sunscreen SPF50+. This Australian SPF is probably my current all-around favourite. It is not the lightest of the bunch, but I prefer to combine my SPF and moisturiser and this one covers both bases perfectly (it may not be enough if your skin is dry, but for me it works). The other reason I like it so much is that it has a slightly skin-perfecting quality, I always feel I look better when I put it on, even if I don’t use anything else. It is totally effortless, a pleasure to apply and to have on. It works very well under makeup, has no white cast and uses chemical filters – although at least the last two are true for all the SPFs I cover here. The package (with a pump) is excellent and I love the slightly musky (of the clean kind) scent, too.

Ultra Violette Queen Screen Hydrating Facial Sunscreen SPF50+. When Supreme Screen is creamy, this one is more like a serum – it is definitely runny. That said, I would not say it is lighter than its sister product and to me, it feels greasier: it reminds me of some La Roche-Posay and Vichy sunscreens that claim to be ultra light, but being liquid does not equal light in my non-humble opinion. So as you can tell, I prefer Supreme to Queen, but if your skin is drier and/or you want a more glowy finish, you may find this one more to your taste. It comes in a blue glass dropper bottle and has more of a floral, rosy scent.

Biore UV Watery Essence Aqua Rich SPF50+ PA++++. If it’s lightness you are after then Biore Watery Essence Aqua Rich remains unbeaten in my view (although there is now a new version, Aqua Rich Aqua Protect Lotion, that I haven’t tried and that’s apparently excellent). It is not runny, the texture is more like a gel cream, but it is very light and refreshing on the skin, dries quickly and remains entirely non-sticky. With its relatively matte – but not dead – finish it can be ideal for the oilier types. I have written about this product many times before, including the fact that I don’t find it drying (some do, there is alcohol in it) and about the very reasonable price point.

Suqqu Multi Skin Protector SPF 50. This is a creamy and elegant sunscreen and it has a price tag to match. I was going to make a big fuss about it, as this comes in a tiny tube, until I realised that Ultra Violette also has 50ml of product, just like Suqqu, it just comes in visually larger packaging. Still, Suqqu is even more expensive and not necessarily better. But if you can afford it and refined texture is important for you, this is a beautiful cream and great for travelling thanks to its very streamlined design. It is rather nourishing and very good under makeup, probably because it’s made by one of Japan’s best makeup brands.

Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics SPF50+ PA++++. If you like the idea of Suqqu but refuse to spend silly amounts of money, I highly recommend this Korean sunscreen by Beauty of Joseon. It feels like a lovely light moisturiser and has added niacinamide, rice extract and other nice ingredients. There is no scent and while it’s moisturising, it’s not crazy glowy. It works beautifully under makeup and is a joy to use. Frankly, there is nothing about this product I do not like. The only reason I sometimes prefer the much pricier Ultra Violet is the latter’s primer effect, but otherwise this is at least as good. While I don’t have sensitive skin, I bet Beauty of Joseon is a great option for those who do.

COSRX Aloe Soothing Sun Cream SPF50+ PA+++. Talking about sensitive skin, this COSRX one should be good for that. As I said, I cannot really assess that, considering my skin is usually unbothered by most things. Leaving this aspect aside, I find the Soothing Sun Cream a bit heavier and less elegant than most others here. It is also cheaper, but not that much cheaper than Beauty of Joseon, which I would recommend you buy instead in case you can get it. If not, COSRX is more widely available and is still a decent option if you want a moisturising SPF that will not break the bank.

COSRX Snail Essence Sun SPF50+ PA+++. In terms of performance, I prefer this COSRX sunscreen to the aloe one – I think the texture is nicer and lighter, it feels more refined and more pleasant to apply. That said, I realised only after I bought it that it contains snail mucin and I’m not sure I’m comfortable with it in my skincare (it has great properties, but I feel sorry for the snails). It also tastes awful. I realise that one is not supposed to eat one’s sunscreen, but sometimes it migrates or you lick your lips too enthusiastically and it really is rather vile. It seems also that this specific version of the product might be discontinued, so perhaps ignore it altogether.

Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Watery Sun Gel SPF50+ PA++++. I was initially disappointed in this sunscreen, because I expected it to be similar to the Biore one and it isn’t really. I thought it would be more gel-like and very light, but it looked rather creamy. I tried again, however, as Gothamista loves this one and she rarely steers me wrong. And once I got over the fact that this looks creamy, I realised it actually DOES feel very light on skin, it becomes fresh and almost watery when applied. It is more hydrating than Biore and very comfortable, so should be fine for most skin types. It has stealthily become one of my most used SPFs.

Heimish Artless Glow Base SPF50+ PA+++. This is my least favourite of the bunch, but that’s again partly because of misplaced expectations. I somehow thought it would be a slightly tinted SPF, while it is in fact a glowy primer. And it certainly is glowy, too glowy for me. Or rather, I don’t mind the glow as such, but this looks greasy on my skin. Also, I feel it moves around on a warm day, the exact opposite of what one would expect from a primer. So it’s not for me, but if you have very dry skin or you really love glow, it may work better for you. This one, and the Isntree sunscreen have both recently changed packaging, which is my constant issue with Japanese and Korean products, making it even more difficult to keep track of them. As if the mile long names weren’t enough.

These are the nine Asian sunscreens I currently use or have just finished. I have not rated their performance in terms of sun protection, as it’s difficult to assess – I’ve had no issues with any of them and I do trust all these companies (and countries) to provide properly tested sunscreens, but I haven’t worn most of them in very sunny conditions for extended periods of time. For daily use in Brussels or Tallinn they all work perfectly well.

*I know Australia isn’t part of Asia, but as it IS part of the Asia-Pacific region (I checked), I am asking you to roll with it for the purposes of this post.