I remember purchasing my first daily sunblock five years ago. I had just learned that I needed sun protection not just for beach trips, but every single day. Since I was just 16 at the time, I looked for a mild formulation that would suit my adolescent skin and chanced upon YADAH’s Oh My Sun Block SPF35 PA++. Because it was lightweight and slightly moisturizing without the sticky feel, it was easier for me to get into the habit of wearing sunscreen daily.

Over at the Project Vanity Community page, we often get requests for sunscreen recommendations. Everyone looks for the same qualities: no white cast, not sticky or heavy, and ideally without that distinctive sunscreen scent. By and large, Asian Beauty (AB) sunscreen formulas are the clear favorite, with most recos coming from Japanese and Korean skincare picks. Having so many options can be pretty overwhelming though, so let’s attempt to answer the billion dollar question: which sunscreen has the best formula?