At a glance
Discover my detailed review of the Comfy Water Sun Block mineral sunscreen from the Korean brand Purito.
I often read that a mineral sunscreen with high protection (50+) necessarily leaves a white cast on the skin. That the only way to avoid this is to use nano mineral filters and that it’s otherwise impossible. It seems that the word impossible is not in the Korean dictionary, because the Korean skincare brand Purito just achieved a completely transparent mineral sunscreen, without using any nano filter. Let me introduce you to the Purito Comfy Water Sun Block!
This year, so many “clean” sunscreens were released! Especially among Western brands, with, for example, the REN Clean Screen Mineral SPF 30 (which I reviewed), but also Oh My Cream in France, and Pai in the UK, to name just a few.
Most of these sunscreens use the same ingredient, zinc oxide, which is a non-nano mineral filter and they claim to be a broad-spectrum sunscreen, which protects against UVA and UVB rays.
I tried one, the REN, and I was moderately convinced (feel free to read the review if you’re curious).
A “clean” sunscreen is definitely complicated to formulate. In this type of formula, you must avoid:
– chemical filters, which are much more transparent than mineral filters, but they’ve been accused of being irritating and also endocrine disrupters,
– nano mineral filters (more transparent as well but also highly criticized)
– any “controversial” ingredients (alcohol, mineral oil, silicone… the list is getting very long!).
But in the end, consumers still want a product that provides effective protection (SPF30 minimum), that is pleasant to use: not too greasy, not too thick, not too white, and that is also a good makeup base.
Personally, I confess that the priority for me isn’t that my sunscreen is “clean” (I talked about it in my article on “non-toxic” cosmetics ), I really want it to provide great UV protection and not be a pain to use, because I apply it every day, and not just a little!
But hey, if I find a “clean” formula that matches all my preferences, I’m definitely willing to try it!
So when the Korean brand Purito announced the release of its sunscreen Comfy Water Sun Block SPF50+ PA++++++, with non-nano mineral filters, supposed to be non-greasy and completely transparent, I was frankly curious to know more about it!
Product presentation: Purito Comfy Water Sun Block
Purito is a “clean skincare”Korean brand that I already mentioned when I reviewed their brilliant Centella Green Level Buffet Serum.
Named after the English word “purity” and the Chinese character for “soil” (土), Purito is a totally transparent skincare brand. They want their customers to know what they apply to their skin. They prefer natural ingredients, and they make sure that they are as pure and pesticide-free as possible.
Aware of the greenwashing in the beauty industry at the moment, Purito wants to be open and honest with its customers, providing them natural and safe products.
They prefer to invest in R&D and finding great ingredients for their products rather than focusing on their appearance. They also try to use environmentally friendly packaging whenever it’s possible, they are also cruelty-free, and they also believe that skincare should be accessible to as many people as possible. The prices of their products are indeed very affordable!
I’m a big fan of their first sunscreen based on chemical filters, the Purito Centella Green Level Safe Sun, so I was super interested in the launch of the Comfy Water Sun Block sunscreen!
A sunscreen based on mineral UV filters, with an SP50+, a PA+++++, silicone and alcohol-free, and which claims to have a lightweight texture and no white cast, is quite unprecedented!
It’s indeed quite rare to find a mineral sunscreen with high UV rays protection (here, an SPF50+) that don’t use silicones and/or alcohol. They can indeed considerably lighten the texture of sunscreens and avoid the greasy effect often associated with mineral sunscreens.
Mineral filters are fat-soluble, so they’re usually added into creamier formulas containing a lot of oil(s). They’re also thicker than chemical filters and less easy to spread in a formula. This explains why the mineral sunscreen formulas of natural brands are often less “cosmetically elegant” than the formulas of sunscreen products based on chemical threads.
Most “clean” brands still prefer these mineral filters because they’re less controversial than chemical filters (the latter are reputed to be more irritating for sensitive skin, more allergenic, they’re also accused of being endocrine disrupters and polluting the oceans for some of them).
As I said above, I’m not necessarily the target consumer for these brands, because I think there are many misconceptions about these cosmetic “controversies”, and above all, regarding sun protection, I really want a product that is effective against UV rays, that is my first concern!
But if I can have a more natural product, environmentally friendly, that is effective, with high UV protection and pleasant to use on a daily basis, I’m in!
Purito formulated its sunscreen Comfy Water Sun Block with a specific technology. They chose to use a formula that is very rich in water (70%), which is quite unusual for a mineral sunscreen. I don’t know the details because the brand doesn’t communicate much about it, but I must admit that I’m very intrigued!
The formula also contains a lot of soothing skincare ingredients (Centella Asiatica, Niacinamide…), which is a plus, especially if you have sensitive or sensitized skin!
My experience:
I ordered the Comfy Water Sun Block in June and to my dismay, it took some time to be delivered, unfortunately. So I’ve only been using it for a few weeks.
The texture is really pleasant, it’s quite insane actually. You can definitely feel that it’s made of 70% water!
It’s very refreshing when you apply it on the skin. This fresh feeling lasts quite a long time, which is perfect in this season.
It’s completely transparent, on my fair skin anyway. No white cast like I had in the past with other mineral sunscreens!
I find it comfortable on my dehydrated combination skin. I’m not 100% sure that it will be enough on a drier skin than mine, but personally, I don’t find it drying.
You need to massage it quite well, as it may tend to pill a little in the hairline and in the eyebrows, but nothing dramatic.
With makeup, it can look blotchy sometimes. With my more matte foundations, in particular, I noticed that it could sometimes emphasize pores or drier areas. It’s pretty light, again, nothing terrible, but I just wanted to point it out to you.
I actually noticed that if I used a sponge to apply my foundation, it helped a lot with that!
The Purito Comfy Water Sun Block in 16 questions:
∎ Price?
Between $16 and $18 for 60ml.
∎ Protection?
SPF50+, PA++++
∎ Made in?
South Korea
∎ Texture?
A very fresh creamy texture, full of water. The refreshing feeling remains on the skin for a long time after I applied it.
∎ UV filters?
– Zinc Oxide: UVA and UVB.
– Titane Dioxide: UVA and UVB.
∎ Effects on the environment?
Low, they are non-nano mineral filters (but I couldn’t find any information from the brand on this subject).
∎ Silicone-free?
Yes.
∎ Alcohol-free?
Yes.
∎ Fragrance-free?
No, it contains essential oils.
∎ Anti-oxidants?
Yes, niacinamide, a multi-tasker, and cosmetic hero ingredient.
∎ Other skincare ingredients in the formula?
– Centella Asiatica: soothing, repairing, healing, anti-aging…
– adenosine: repairing, anti-aging.
– glycerine: hydrating.
∎ White cast?
No, it’s transparent.
∎ Irritant? Comedogenic
No.
∎ Mattifying?
Yes, a bit (but it’s not drying).
∎ How does it look with makeup?
With some foundations, it may tend to emphasize pores and/or dry areas (but not always).
∎ Would I repurchase?
Probably. I find it comfortable to wear every day. It may have a small issue with some of my foundations, but it’s mostly fine.
Otherwise, I find it very pleasant to use, it’s very fresh and in this season, it’s just perfect! It’s also excellent value for money. The formula is not waterproof though, so I don’t recommend it if you plan to go swimming.
In conclusion:
Overall, I really like this Purito Comfy Water Sun Block sunscreen!
The texture is super nice and despite its small flaws, I find that it does the job well and I find it comfortable to use on a daily basis.
In short, I already love their chemical sunscreen, the Purito Centella Green Level Safe Sun, I find this mineral version a very nice addition to the range 🙂
The sunscreen retails between $16 and $18 for 60ml.
Edit 03/07/2020:
Apparently, the brand has reformulated this sunscreen and it no longer contains essential oils. I haven’t tried this new fragrance-free version.
Product Review in detail
Summary
Purito Comfy Water Sun Block
"Block harmful UV rays with this mild sun block powered by SPF50+ PA++++. Its lightweight formula is comfortable on skin and does not leave a sticky feeling."
Recommendation
A good mineral sunscreen option for a daily use
Price
$16 - $18
Details
Pros
- its "clean" formula, without "controversial" ingredients (not easy for a sunscreen),
- SPF 50+ (generally impossible with this type of formula, without using nano-filters) (but the word impossible is apparently not in the Korean dictionary), and complete UVA and UVB protection, which provides great anti-aging protection,
- the use of two mineral filters (zinc oxide and titanium dioxide Non-Nanos) perfect for sensitive skin,
- the addition of skincare ingredients in the formula, which are always a plus,
- the insane texture, super fresh and drenched with water, very pleasant for the season,
- it doesn't leave a white effect, it's quite amazing for a mineral sunscreen!
- it smells good,
- it has a slightly mattifying effect (but it doesn't dry out my skin).
Cons
- for those who are sensitive to essential oils, the formula contains a few of them,
- it may have a tendency to pill slightly at the hairline, you need to massage it well when you apply it,
- I noticed that with some of my foundations, it tended to look blotchy and emphasize dry areas and pores a little bit (but not systematically),
- it's not the most comfortable sunscreen formula on the market, but on my dehydrated combination skin, it's fine (on dry skin, I don't really know though),
- you must order it online (even if you live in Korea!).
product name
Comfy Water Sun Block
brand name
Purito
size
60ml
made in
South Korea
packaging
A white plastic tube with a black cap.
fragrance
A light, rather pleasant aromatic scent.
texture
A very fresh creamy texture, full of water. The refreshing feeling remains on the skin for a long time after I apply it.
For Who
For all those who want to protect themselves against UV rays.
Concerns
– sun exposure,
– presence of UV rays,
– anti-aging prevention,
– hyperpigmentation.
Method
I apply the Comfy Water Sun Block after I have finished my morning skincare routine (after my moisturizer). Usually, I wait for a few minutes after applying my moisturizer (roughly the time to get dressed) before using my sunscreen.
Regarding the amount, I use about 1/2 teaspoon for my face, neck, neckline, and ears to be properly protected. I apply them in successive layers to make it easier and massage them a lot so that the cream blends, as much as possible, into my skin.
The product tends to stick a bit to the eyebrows and my hairline.
I usually wait for about ten minutes (at least) before applying my makeup. This gives the product time to set properly to form a good protective layer, undiluted by the application of other products on top.
Key Ingredients
The Comfy Water Sun Block sunscreen contains great skincare ingredients such as:
– two mineral UV filters: non-nano zinc oxide and titanium dioxide for UVA and UVB protection,
– moisturizing glycerin,
– antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, lightening niacinamide… It’s one of my favorite cosmetic ingredients, it is good for (almost) everything!
– soothing, anti-inflammatory Centella Asiatica.
Ingredients
Ingredients not included
– alcohol,
– mineral oil,
– silicones,
– synthetic fragrance,
– dye.
My friend took a photo of the two of us and I was stunned by how red my face was. Then she used the same photo in the face ageing app and that almost pushed me over the edge with fear! I decided I need to step up my skin care regime and protect my skin. I’m in my 40’s and I’m dark skinned. So I’ve got mature, dry skin showing signs of ageing. I’ve figured out a regime including retinol and made purchases. I’ve had to pause using retinol until I find a suitable spf. Over the last month I’ve tried three spf’s, one gave me white cast, one gave me a purple hue and the other left my skin very greasy & oily. I’m somewhat frustrated. I’m going to give this one a try. Thanks for the review.
The quest for the perfect sunscreen can be super frustrating, I’m definitely with you on this one!
I wrote a sunscreen guide a bit earlier this year, maybe you can also have a look and see if you can find something for you there as well? 😉
Did this sunscreen work for you? I’m very frustrated with finding the right sunscreen 😣
Yes, it did, I answered in the article 😉
I wrote several articles about sunscreens if you want more options 🙂 :
Sunscreen guide 2018
Face Sunscreen Guide 2019
Face Sunscreen Guide 2020
Thanks for this profound review!
I wanted to order this today and learned that the problematic essential oils (Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil) have in the meantime been REMOVED from their formula!! (Since October 2019).
Before that, I wouldn’t have been able to use this, but now…. can wait to receive my little parcel!!
Thank you Christine!
Yes, true they released a fragrance-free version a few months after I wrote my original review! 🙂
I hope you enjoy it, then ! 😀
I wanted to get the Centella Unscented chemical sunscreen originally but it was out of stock so I got this one instead. Been using it for the past two weeks and I’m really loving it! I’m still intrigued by the Centella one though so I really want to ask, which one do you prefer more in terms of better sun protection?
For me, the sun protection with these two products is great! But thComfy Water one is pilling on me, which means the product doesn’t stay well on my skin in certain areas (so it doesn’t protect these areas well, obviously). That’s why I prefer the Centella one (I haven’t tried the unscented one though, just the regular one).
Hope it helps! 🙂
I wish I could feel confident about using the Comfy Water Sun Block but the percentage of zinc oxide in the product seems way too low for it to be an effective and safe sun screen. This concern is regularly brought up in online reviews of the product.
I wonder Bonnie if you have any additional information about the ingredients to reassure us that the product should have an SPF 50 rating ?
I personally trust the brand and what is written on the tube, but maybe you can ask them directly and tell them your concern, so they can provide more material to reassure you? 🙂
Dear Bonnie, recently I discovered your site and I love it! I am an SPF-freak just like you, as well as I am also a big fan of the Ordinary and Paula’s Choice 😉
I had tried so many mineral sun filters already but they always where too white, or too greasy, or tinted, or too irritating (I have a fair very sensitive combination skin). I have some beautifull lightly tinted mineral SPF’s that I use (Paula’s Choice, Colorescience and Sukin) that also even my skin tone, but sometimes I just want an invisible SPF, not always tinted. After having read your reviews I ordered Purito’s Comfy Water Sun Block and Centella Green Level unscented. I live in the Netherlands and I could easily order them in a web shop in my own country!
I have tried them both only ones because I received them two days ago, but I love them already!
The reason I am writing to you is that I have two questions:
1. Mineral sunscreens stay on top of your skin and seem to reflect the sun rays. But what happens when you put make up over it? Even blush or powder? Than the SPF is “hidden” under the make up and cannot reflect the sun anymore.
I have this question for such a long time already, but never found the answer. What do you think Bonnie?
2. From your reviews I understand that you prefer a combination of mineral and physical SPF in one product. It should be more stable and effective. So do you also think it is better to use the two mentioned Purito sunscreens together when going outside in very sunny conditions? Not mixing of course, but first the Comfy and second the Centella. I haven’t tried it yet, I first wanted to try out which one I love best.
I hope to hear from you Bonie, and thank you very much for your wonderful reviews and articles!
Kind regards, Joke (no joke, it’s a typically Dutch name ;-)))
Hi Joke! 🙂
Thank you so much for your lovely comment and stay tuned for my next post, you should love it as a fellow SPF-freak ah ah 😜
To answer your first question, from what I could gathered, makeup doesn’t disturb sunscreen as long as you leave it to set for a few minutes (10 minutes at least) so it has the time to leave an even film on top of your skin and set properly. Makeup usually contain pigments that also can protect the skin a little, so I personally dont mind using it on top of my sunscreen.
Honestly, the more I try sunscreens, the more I discover fantastic super protective formulas! It’s true that usually, combo formulas are the most protective, but I tried some chemical formula (like the La Roche Posay Shaka Fluid for example) that are really super protective (I talked about it in one of my previous post about sun protection).
I think it’s OK layer the sunscreens, but I heard that it’s better to avoid layering Avobenzone and Zinc Dioxide because they’re instable together. I dont think the Centella sunscreen contains Avobenzone, so it should be OK. Also, it’s better to wait in between layering them.
To be honest, even if I know it’s possible to do it, I didn’t experiment it myself. I prefer to use a more “heavy duty” formula for when I have to go outside for a bit (as I explain in this article). I think you should be able to find the La Roche Posay Shaka Fluid in the Netherlands, have you tried it? 😉
Hi Bonnie, since my post on your website I have read many many articles about mineral and chemical sunscreens. I didn’t know there are so many different (chemical) sunscreens, and that they are not all safe but also that they are not all that bad. Some, like homosalate, are suspected to penetrate your skin and disturb your hormones. But chemical sunscreens like Tinosorb, Uvinul, Octilsalate or Mexoryl are recognized as pretty safe.
For a while, I thought mineral sunscreens where the answer. But they have their disadvantages. If you can find them 100% clear, they are probably nano. Not every country is obligated to mention that. One of the disadvantages is that they sit on your skin, but as soon as you touch your skin you rub them of. It is hardly possible not to touch your skin, for example when it itches.
Yes, the Purity Comfy Water Sun Block is very nice, but in the mean time I have read reviews in which people doubt the effectiveness just because it is so very “watery” (aqueous). So I wouldn’t want to use it on its own for a longer time in direct sunlight. In that case I would combine it with (after) a chemical sunscreen, and shall wait long enough between those like you said.
I tried La Roche Posay Anthelios Shaka Fluid a few years ago. Yes, La Roche Posay can be bought in almost every pharmacy in my country. Unfortunately it burned on my skin so I couldn’t use it no more. Now checking the ingredients, I see that alcohol denat is the 2nd ingredient, so no wonder this is no match with my sensitive skin. I love La Roche Posay Anthelios Dry Touche gel-crème SPF50 though. However, I just found out it uses homosalate as a sunscreen, so this one is not safe. At least, not for everyday use. But since it absorbs very well into my skin, I might use it on the days I will be out in direct sunlight, and layer it with a mineral sunscreen. Fortunately this happens not very often, first because of the climate in the Netherlands cannot be compared with Dubai, and second because when outside in daylight I almost always wear wide brimmed hats or caps, because a sunscreen helps but won’t do on its own to protect your skin against UV-rays.
Thank you very much for your latest article about sunscreens! It gives lots of helpful information. Sadly many sunscreens are not suitable for my skin because they contain fragrance or alcohol. I would love to order the Dewytree or the Dr. Jart+ Solarbiome. However they need to be ordered in Korea or somewhere else far from here, and shipping fee is almost higher than the product itself, not to speak of import duties I probably would have to pay. No, for now I am happy with the Purito Centella Green Level Unscented Sun and the Purity Comfy Water Sun Block, together with the La Roche Posay Dry Touch gel-crème. And of course the slightly tinted mineral sunscreens that I also love from Colorescience, Paula’s Choice and Sukin. Besides, I think that in the near future many new safe sunscreens will be launched, because everywhere you can read that mineral sunscreens are “GRASE” (fda) and lots of chemical sunscreens are not. So I am sure the market is waiting for nice and comfortable mineral sunscreens and providers will jump into that gap.
I hope you will continue writing those fantastic reviews and articles Bonnie, it is a pleasure learning to know you!
Kind regards from the Netherlands, Joke
Thank you very much Joke! 😀
Regarding the disturbing effect on hormones of some UV filters, I asked several scientific friends of mine that work in the industry about it and they all told me that the effect of these ingredients is very minimal and has very few incidence on the body, especially at the concentration they’re used in cosmetics. Even if you use several of these ingredients at the same time, it’s still not enough to really disturb your hormones. You would need to use way more products, and for a lot longer. So I personally don’t really mind them in my sunscreens. Also, especially in my case, I think that the risk of skin cancer is greater than the possibility of a potential endocrine disrupting effect on my body, especially where I live!
About the Purito sunscreen, I agree. For me, it’s an “everyday sunscreen”, not a heavy duty one that I would use when I know I’m going to be outside for a long time end receive a lot of sun exposure. But I personally don’t mind it. I really think it’s great to have different sunscreens that serve different purposes (I talked about it in this article about choosing the best sunscreen according to your needs). I totally agree that clothes and hats are also a great protection for UV filters! 🙂
Like you, I really hope that we’ll have more great options of mineral sunscreens soon, more available worldwide! It’d be great! 😀