Summer's over: a sunscreen post-mortem from a Japanese forum
Every September, Japan's Girls Channel forum gets a "sunscreen reflection meeting" thread. The 2024 edition piled up hundreds of comments grading the summer's sunscreens, and some clear patterns emerged.
Here's the roundup:
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Light everyday gels and essences were fine for errands, but many reported tanning on long days outdoors like the beach or the pool.
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On those days, lots of people went back to strong water-resistant products such as Anessa, while noting the downsides: harder to cleanse off and a clogged feeling for some.
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A striking number said they've swapped body sunscreen for physical cover: UV hoodies, arm sleeves and parasols. One admitted mocking arm sleeves when younger and now can't live without them.
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Texture gripes continued: sprays so strongly scented they went unused, and a cream that left white marks on a black bag and got shelved.
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When someone said a social-media video claiming a product was harmful made them anxious, others replied that a TikTok source is hard to trust.
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Laundry lesson: a white T-shirt with sunscreen on it turned pink after a wash with bleach.
Desk note: If you shop for Japanese sunscreen, look for the "UV耐水性 ★/★★" (UV water resistance) mark. The Japan Cosmetic Industry Association set this standard in October 2021, based on the international ISO 18861 test, and began using it in December 2022; the number of stars shows how strong the water resistance is. The association also advises reapplying often, roughly every 2–3 hours, to keep protection up. Two stars doesn't mean you can skip reapplying.
How did your sunscreen do this summer? Tell us about the day you realised you'd tanned.
Original thread: Girls Channel (Japan) — sunscreen post-mortem 2024 · Reference: JCIA — UV耐水性 Q&A · Reference: JCIA — 耐水性測定法基準
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