Healavie Waterdrop Sun Gel SPF 50+ PA+++ Review

Today I am reviewing the Healavie Waterdrop Sun Gel  SPF 50+ PA+++ (1.18 oz). 

I was sent a tube of this last month complimentary in exchange for my honest review of the product. Heavalie is a Korean beauty brand and beyond that I know nothing about it; the entire Healavie website is in Korean and Google Translate translated less than 1% of the characters; it looks like they also make sheet masks and cleansers. 

I went on over to CosDNA to see if I could find a translated ingredient list as my web searches were proving fruitless and lo and behold there was no entry for it! I decided to see if my phone could decode the box and then I noticed there was an English ingredients list on one side of the box...derrrr I felt really stupid. So now I can present to you  a link to the CosDNA analysis of Healavie Waterdrop Sun Gel  SPF 50+ PA+++.

Heavalie Waterdrop Sun Gel  SPF 50+ PA+++ ingredients:

Water, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Ethylhexyl  Salicylate, Homosalate, Methylpropanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol, Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Caprylyl, Methicone, Titanium Dioxide, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Isononyl, Isononanoate, Biosaccharide Gum-4, Lauryl Methacrylate, Glycol Dimethacrylate Cross Polymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ammonium, Acryloyldimethyltaurate, VP Copolymer, Allantoin, Sorbitan, Oleate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Xanthan Gum, Tocopheryl Acetate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Argania Pinos Kernal Oil, Farnesol, Farnesyl Acetate, Helianthis Annuus Seed Oil, Panthenyl Triacetate, Stearic Acid, Aluminum Hydroxide, Isohexadecane, Polysorbate 80, Phenoxyethanol, BHT, Fragrance.

This sunscreen is very runny. If it weren't a sunscreen and inherently oily I would say it is almost watery. It is very thin, white, and slightly shiny in appearance. I thought it would be difficult to get the recommended teaspoon of product worked in to my face but it was fairly easy due to how fast it absorbed. You can rub it in aggressively or apply in layers. The Waterdrop Sun Gel has a slight, pleasant aroma that I can't identify (ingredients just list "fragrance"). I used this sunscreen for almost an entire month on the weekdays on top of a moisturizer and under a CC Cream; it layered well both under and on top of other products and never seemed to leave my face and makeup feeling or looking greasy.       

You can see from the photos above that even with a hefty amount of sunscreen there is no white "cast", however the area does look lighter and brighter, which is not a bad thing for my nun damaged skin!

        About a week in to using the Healavie Waterdrop Sun Gel I noticed a few breakouts of small red bumps on my forehead, another week and my cheeks and jawline were becoming clogged. After about a month of use it is very apparent that this sunscreen is causing me to break out consistently. I am super bummed about that because I really enjoyed using this sunscreen and thought I'd be purchasing it in the future. The CosDNA analysis did flag a few ingredients as acne-causing, those being Sorbitan Oleate and Stearic Acid. I haven't noticed Stearic Acid being a problem for me in the past so I'm thinking it's probably the Sorbitan Oleate causing the reaction.

How the Rating Works

• Effectiveness is 2/3 of the Total Rating 
• Packaging is 1/6 of the Total rating
• Physical Qualities is 1/6 of the rating

Heavalie Waterdrop Sun Gel  SPF 50+ PA+++ Individual Ratings (0 - 5)

• Effectiveness = 4
• I'm not exactly sure what this sunscreen claims to do other than protect you from the harmful rays of the sun so it's hard to say how effective it was. I do see that it contains six different sunscreens; five are chemical barriers and only one is physical. Physical barriers work better and are better for you and the environment. I used this for about a month and did not see any darkening on my hyper-pigmented areas, which is the first sign of sun damage to my face. Four points because it works as a sunscreen, can't give full five because unsure of other claims.
• Packaging = 5
• The HealaieWaterdrop Sun Gel packaging is gorgeous. The box is a lovely intricate, pink pattern and the tube itself is a soft  glowing purple with foiled purple lettering. Both the box and tube are recyclable. The tube is a squeeze type and dispenses the product hygienically. Full five pints awarded.
• Physical Qualities = 2.5
• This sunscreen is thin, white, shiny, and non-greasy but most importantly absorbs easily. It does not leave a white cast but instantly lightens and brightens. It causes me to breakout. Giving 2.5 points because although it is easily absorbed and non-greasy it breaks me out.

                         Healavie Waterdrop Sun Gel SPF 50+ PA+++ Total Rating = 3.875

         As with all products, your mileage may vary (YMMV). The Healavie Waterdrop Sun Gel  SPF 50+ PA+++ is a great working sunscreen but caused my aging, acne-prone skin to breakout both in little red bumps as well as deeper acne. I can't personally recommend this sunscreen personally.

#sunscreen #spf #healavie #waterdropsungel #koreanskincare #asianskincare #kbeauty #beautyblogger #08L #epithelialdreams #productreview

(I received this product for free from the company in exchange for my unbiased review posted on my Instagram account; I am electing to post here additionally)