ADVERTISEMENT INFO: PRODUCTS MENTIONED IN THIS POST ARE PR (GIFTED) AND LINKS USED ARE AFFILIATE LINKS. I RECEIVED NO MONEY TO WRITE THE BLOGPOST. PLEASE READ DISCLAIMER
The MISSHA All Around Safe Block Essence Sun Milk made me think about how everyone needs a sunscreen wardrobe. I mean, no matter how much you love that one shirt you feel so good in, you won’t be able to wear it year round, no matter the occasion. Same is true for sunscreens: You obviously have your favorite, the one you reach for the most (I’ll share mine below), but you also have one for the office, one that plays well under makeup, one for the beach and one for comfortable reapplication.
Let me tell you in todays review where I think the MISSHA Sun Essence fits in best!
What MISSHA All Around Safe Block Essence Sun Milk claims
“Moist sun milk packed with moisturizing essence. The essence containing four seasonal flower extracts comfortably wraps around the skin and supplies skin with moisture and nutrients.”
Facts about MISSHA All Around Safe Block Essence Sun Milk
Prize and size
One bottle contains 70 ml and is available for 12,99 $ on the website here. The lid on this one is green, which sets it apart from the other versions available: blue lid for waterproof, pink for soft finish and violet for velvet finish.
Texture and smell
This is a lightweight sunscreen and really behaves like a milk rather than a light cream. Despite it being white, I did not notice any white cast. It has a very faint, perfumy-floral scent
How to use the MISSHA All Around Safe Block Essence Sun Milk
This can be used as last step in your routine – it spreads like a dream, sinks in without cast or tackiness and works great under makeup. The finish in this one is more on the dewy side, like I find it to be true for most Asian Sunscreens, but didn’t look greasy on my combination skin.
I usually don’t use it like that though, as it only has a UVA protection rating of PA+++, meaning a PPD of 12-16, but prefer it for reapplication, especially on very balmy office days. (More info: UVA protection – How is it measured?)
Of course it would be better to opt for the highest level of protection against UVA rays too, not just once in the morning, but sometimes the layer of sunscreen, makeup and sweat in the humid air is just too much to even think about anything even remotely more heavy. This is when, true to the saying “The best sunscreen is the one you actually wear”, I grab my bottle of Sun Essence and top up.
As it contains alcohol in the formula, I would be careful putting it very close to the eyes if they are sensitive. Mine sometimes are, but I never had any issues with stinging. (More info: The truth about alcohol in skincare)
Ingredients of MISSHA All Around Safe Block Essence Sun Milk
amic|solv|vc, Octocrylene sunsc, Ethylhexyl Salicylate sunsc 0 0, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 
sunsc, Butylene Glycol h|solv 0 1, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Silica vc, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine sunsc, Althaea Rosea Root Extract h, Rosa Davurica Bud Extract aox, Portulaca Oleracea Extract so|aox, Nelumbium Speciosum Flower Extract, Abronia Villosa Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract so|emo|h, Cinchona Succirubra Bark Extract, Rhodiola Rosea Root Extract emo, Psidium Guajava Leaf Extract, Limonia Acidissima Extract, Chrysanthemum Indicum Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract aox|so, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract h, Morus Alba Fruit Extract aox, Cinnamomum Cassia Bark Extract, Diospyros Kaki Leaf Extract, Artemisia Princeps Leaf Extract, Camellia Japonica Flower Extract emo, Prunus Mume Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Water perf, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Water, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Water, Biosaccharide Gum-4, Dimethicone emo 0 1, Nylon-12 vc, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer vc, BHT aox|pres, Sodium Hydroxide buff, VP/Hexadecene Copolymer vc, Betaine h, Caprylyl Methicone emo, Cyclopentasiloxane emo|solv, Bis-PEG/PPG-20/5 PEG/PPG-20/5 Dimethicone emu, Methoxy PEG/PPG-25/4 Dimethicone emu, Acrylates/Dimethicone Copolymer, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride emo, Disodium EDTA chel, Caprylyl Glycol h|emo, Ethylhexylglycerin pres, 1,2-Hexanediol solv, Fragrance perfHover the mouse over an ingredient for short explanation. Read more on INCIDecoder.
Looking at the sunscreen filters used, it is mainly older ones, which isn’t that surprising seeing that the first version of this was already released in 2017. (More info: Chemical vs physical filters)
It contains Octinoxate (best at UVB protection), Octocrylene (mainly UVB, some UVA), Octisalate (UVB), Avobenzone (UVA) and then a more modern one, Tinosorb S (both UVA and UVB). Other than that there are really a lot of different plant extracts, with Aloe and Green Tea being the ones best known, as well as Silicones and Alcohol that are probably responsible for the lightweight feel and fragrance.
I think the plant extracts are what is referred to as the “four seasonal flower extracts” that make up the moisturizing essence.
(More info: How to read the ingredient list in skincare)
Does it live up to its claims?
Yes, kind of.
It is moist, it is a sun milk and it is hydrating. If it wraps around the skin and delivers nutrients… Well, I am not sure how I would verify that.
How does it compare to…
Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Rice + Probiotics SPF 50+
Beauty of Joseon has a firmer texture, it is a lotion rather than a milk, and feels more substantial on the skin too. I’d say it is more hydrating and a little bit heavier (still very lightweight though) than the Missha version. Both contain Green Tea Extract, Beauty of Joseon also has Glycerin, Fermented Extracts and Niacinamide as additional beneficial ingredients, but no alcohol or silicones. (More info: Ingredient Spotlight Niacinamide and Benefits of Fermented Ingredients in skincare)
In terms of finish, MISSHA is less dewy despite still being far from matte.
In total Beauty of Joseon has filters that I prefer, so if I had to pick, I would go with this one.
You can read my full review of the Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Rice + Probiotics SPF 50+ here
Would I repurchase and which skin types do I recommend MISSHA All Around Safe Block Essence Sun Milk to?
If I were to repurchase, I would probably go for the violet version that claims a velvet finish and has better UVA protection ratings. It still is a great sunscreen for those that absolutely hate the feeling of “something on their skin”, my husband for example. If pigmentation is your main concern though, it probably isn’t the best for you.
(More info: The different types of hyperpigmentation)
Shop this one here:
or shop my other favorite sunscreens here:
Don’t forget to check out the Discount Code Page on top if you want to save some money on your next skincare purchase.
If you want to get a vote in the next Ask Doctor Anne Topic, Ingredient Spotlight or product I review, don’t forget you can head over to my Patreon account to get more involved!
