Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF 50+ PA++++

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

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✓Yay

"A few years ago this was S tier, but now it's down to an A tier. It's a chemical sunscreen and it will sting your eyes, and as I get older my eyes get even more sensitive, and tons of reviews agree. It's around six bucks and the texture feels exactly like a lightweight lotion. I highly recommend it for dry or mature skin, but oily skin types might feel too greasy. It costs almost double at Olive Young in Korea, so if you're in Japan it's definitely worth picking up."

All 3 takes from CYoung

I Ranked 18 Viral Japanese Beauty Products (Brutally Honest)

"A few years ago this was S tier, but now it's down to an A tier. It's a chemical sunscreen and it will sting your eyes, and as I get older my eyes get even more sensitive, and tons of reviews agree. It's around six bucks and the texture feels exactly like a lightweight lotion. I highly recommend it for dry or mature skin, but oily skin types might feel too greasy. It costs almost double at Olive Young in Korea, so if you're in Japan it's definitely worth picking up."

Which Is Better? J-Beauty or K-Beauty? | Brutally Honest Long Term Review

"This is a Japanese national sunscreen, like a superstar, even here in Korea, it comes in a similar blue bottle to Round Lab. Between the two, I'll pick this one, go for it. It has alcohol in it as the second ingredient, but that doesn't bother me, it makes it feel really good, especially for oily skin, and it works great under makeup, you can't tell you're wearing sunscreen at all."

I tried TIKTOK *VIRAL* Korean skincare… an honest review (Not sponsored)

"Recently I'm using the Biore Aqua Rich watery sunscreen, it's a Japanese brand and it's the most moisturizing sunscreen I've ever tried. [...] As soon as you apply it, it feels like a moisturizer, no white cast, amazing."

Dr Dray

2.69M subs

✓Yay

"I have used many of those Bioré sunscreens in the past, including the Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence. [...] They were some of the first Japanese sunscreens I ever tried, and I really really like them. They do have a [...] light lemon citrus fragrance, not strong or headache-inducing, but if you're allergic to fragrance you would want to avoid them. [...] They're a lightweight, watery gel that's a lot more comfortable to use."

Doctor Anne

56k subs

✓Yay

"I have the Biore UV Aqua Rich SPF 50 plus, [...] which is the one that I use year round for touchups. It is so lightweight that I don't feel the need to immediately run off and wash my face and do everything again because I know reapplication is incredibly important, but having skin care plus sunscreen plus sweat plus another layer of sunscreen on your face is just not my favorite feeling. And with that, that works perfectly fine."

Top Pick: refreshing touch-up sunscreen

All 6 takes from Doctor Anne

Holy Grail Skincare 2025 – What I’d Buy Again Without Hesitation | Doctor Anne

"I have the Biore UV Aqua Rich SPF 50 plus, [...] which is the one that I use year round for touchups. It is so lightweight that I don't feel the need to immediately run off and wash my face and do everything again because I know reapplication is incredibly important, but having skin care plus sunscreen plus sweat plus another layer of sunscreen on your face is just not my favorite feeling. And with that, that works perfectly fine."

New In August - Skincare Stash and Life Update | Doctor Anne

"I got four of the Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence that I especially like for when it's really, really hot, for touch-ups during the day. You can apply it on top of your makeup or other sunscreen without feeling like you have an icky layer of stuff on your face, so it's very good for that."

Summer Skincare for Aging Skin: My Low Effort, High Impact Routine | Doctor Anne

"For touchups during the day, before I leave the office to cycle back home for example, I reach for the Bioré Aqua Rich Sunscreen SPF 50 as it is the most refreshing one I have found and doesn't have that suffocation feeling you often get when you layer sunscreen over sunscreen."

My most loved skincare 2024 - Holy grail routine | Doctor Anne

"The new addition for summer is the Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF 50+, for touch ups or indoor days."

So many skincare empties - Everything I used up in 2024 | Doctor Anne

"During the summer heat I like very lightweight textures that are easy to reapply, like the Biore UV Watery Essence SPF 50+, of which I finished two last summer. It has been repurchased several times already."

Treating Hyperpigmentation & Acne in Fall: Doctor Anne's Full Morning Skincare Routine

"Currently I'm using the Bioré UV Watery Essence Aqua Rich, which I really enjoy. It works well underneath makeup, it's hydrating, and it's what I reach for when I'm not outdoors exercising or sweating or at the beach. I also take it around my eyelids in a thin layer."

Dr. Aleksandra Brown

151k subs

✓Yay

"This is one of the most iconic Japanese SPFs out there. It's really ultra light gel cream. It feels like skincare. It does not feel like SPF. It has really high SPF, really good protection with these advanced Japanese UV filters. Feels very hydrating and cooling like instant cooling application. Also wears really well under makeup. I would say it's great for oily and combination skin."

James Welsh

1.58M subs

✓Mixed

"It's great for humid climates, oily skin types. It does contain a little bit of fragrance, however, which I don't love in my sunscreen, but I'm not really bothered by it, to be honest with you. With these alcohol heavy sunscreens, which is very typical of Japanese sunscreens because it helps everything absorb quicker and has this cooling effect on the skin, you need to add a little bit of something in there to take away that smell. If you're very sensitive, you might want to avoid this."

Dr. Jenny Liu

323k subs

✓Yay

"This is a cult favorite, it is super lightweight, has wonderful filters that block UVA and UVB, it's broad spectrum, absorbs really quickly. It is also water resistant up to 80 minutes, so great to use especially during the summertime or if you're looking for a nice gel texture sunscreen that absorbs really quickly without leaving greasy residue."

All 3 takes from Dr. Jenny Liu

Oct Amazon Prime Day Asian Skincare must buys | Dr. Jenny Liu

"This is a cult favorite, it is super lightweight, has wonderful filters that block UVA and UVB, it's broad spectrum, absorbs really quickly. It is also water resistant up to 80 minutes, so great to use especially during the summertime or if you're looking for a nice gel texture sunscreen that absorbs really quickly without leaving greasy residue."

Derm reviews viral Japanese skincare products | Dr. Jenny Liu

"The Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence is a sunscreen with SPF 50 and PA++++. It's got advanced chemical filters and not all of them are available in the US. It has this lightweight gel cream texture that is fast absorbing but leaves really no residue behind and it's suitable for all skin types including sensitive skin. It is non-greasy, leaves no white cast, and great to wear alone or under makeup."

Derm's favorite Japanese Sunscreens | Dr. Jenny Liu

"Suitable to use on face and body. [...] If you haven't tried any Japanese sunscreens, this is definitely one that I think is really worth trying for the first time. [...] Ingredient wise, it contains hyaluronic acid and Royal jelly that offer great humectant and moisturization and hydration to the skin barrier, and it's got this citrus essence that gives a light scent. If you have [...] really sensitive skin, that's something you just have to be careful of. I also love the technology."

AliceintheRabbitHole

59k subs

✓Nay

"I originally reviewed the very popular Biore Watery Essence SPF50 PA4+, but I didn't like it because I don't like dewy finishes. My skincare routine already leaves my dry skin so dewy, and I really felt like it looked greasy on me, maybe not on everyone, but on me."

All 2 takes from AliceintheRabbitHole

4 J-Beauty sunscreens, compared! (2024 reformulations)

"I originally reviewed the very popular Biore Watery Essence SPF50 PA4+, but I didn't like it because I don't like dewy finishes. My skincare routine already leaves my dry skin so dewy, and I really felt like it looked greasy on me, maybe not on everyone, but on me."

6 Waterproof J-Beauty/K-Beauty Sunscreens, TESTED!

"This is so fast to apply and it has absolutely no white cast whatsoever, none, this goes on clear and it goes on fast. It does have a really strong alcohol scent to my nose. [...] Once applied it is a very glowy sunscreen, and [...] that glow does subside a bit but it is still very glowy, [...] this is where I'm divided."

Doctorly

3.59M subs

✓Mixed

"It also has a relatively strong fragrance, almost like a fresh kind of fragrance. I didn't hate this product, but I really didn't love it the way that everyone else had loved it. The spray version grips pretty well actually, the spray grips more than the lotion. The reason I say that is because a way that people go wrong with sprays is they don't rub it in. It's weird that it grips so much for a spray. The smell is subjective, but I think it's nice."

Dr. Sam Ellis

898k subs

✓Yay

"The Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence is an SPF 50 sunscreen and is probably one of the most popular Asian sunscreens. It dries down pretty much instantly and it just works so beautifully for reapplication. It's also my favorite sunscreen for reapplying over makeup because you can kind of stipple or pat it on the skin without it building up or leaving a white cast."

Top Pick: sunscreen for oily skin

Nadine Baggott

164k subs

✓Yay

"This is the Biore UV Aqua Rich [...] Watery Essence. [...] I've created lots of videos and I've written about this in The Times, but I don't think I've ever spoken to you guys on YouTube about it. [...] Let me show you the texture. [...] I will actually apply that to my chest as well, which is the one place I always forget to apply SPF. It's an SPF 50, they have an SPF 30 as well. It goes in so quickly, it's super light, lightly fragranced, without a doubt for me the perfect texture."

All 2 takes from Nadine Baggott

WHAT'S NEW HIGH SUMMER SKINCARE

"This is the Biore UV Aqua Rich [...] Watery Essence. [...] I've created lots of videos and I've written about this in The Times, but I don't think I've ever spoken to you guys on YouTube about it. [...] Let me show you the texture. [...] I will actually apply that to my chest as well, which is the one place I always forget to apply SPF. It's an SPF 50, they have an SPF 30 as well. It goes in so quickly, it's super light, lightly fragranced, without a doubt for me the perfect texture."

NEW AND IMPROVED BEAUTY BUYS FOR SPRING

"A little goes a long way so make sure you apply enough of it to get the allotted SPF. Mildly citrusy fragrance but not offensive for me and it does dissipate really quickly. You will put this on during the day in place of your moisturizer and even your essence really and even your hyaluronic acid. I would put my vitamin C on and go straight in with this over the summer when you're really busy and you want to leave the house. The SPF 50 I think is perfection."

Lab Muffin Beauty Science

863k subs

✓Yay

"Biore UV Watery Essence is another legacy product and I finally tried the 2025 version. Again, it's fantastic. The filters are the same as the 2023 one, which was in my last top sunscreens video, but there have been a few changes in the other ingredients. To me it's a little bit heavier, but not by very much. I had no eye sting, and [...] I did have a little peeling at the edges, which I'm actually quite okay with because this is water resistant."

What the evidence says.

Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

Humectants and emollients

Ingredients like these draw water into the surface layers and slow how fast it leaves. The evidence is for comfort, softness and hydration rather than for changing the structure of the skin.

Source: DermNet

Frequently asked.

What is Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF 50+ PA++++?

A lightweight chemical sunscreen gel with SPF 50+ and PA++++ protection, formulated to absorb quickly without leaving residue or white cast.

Is Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF 50+ PA++++ worth it?

Mostly yes. 8 of the 11 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 83%.

What is Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF 50+ PA++++'s Guru Score?

Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF 50+ PA++++ holds a Guru Score of 83%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 11 expert reviewers we have collected. At least one expert has named it a Top Pick in its category.