A sunscreen for the most sensitive of skin, with a lot of soothing goodies, with interesting filters. Let’s take a very close look at it in my P.Calm Water Barrier Sun Cream SPF 50+ PA++++ review!
The Brand
South Korean skincare company P.Calm is focused on skin problems and their actual conditions. Their big thing is to develop products that solve skin issues, not developing products and then finding a niche for them. They’re primarily focused on sensitive skin. Because they don’t have an international website, I rely on their Amazon storefront for official descriptions.
P.Calm Water Barrier Sun Cream SPF 50+ review: Description
Strong & Broad Spectrum Protection but also Hydrating Formula with No White-Cast: P.CALM Water-barrier Sun Cream is made with a high percentage of water-based ingredients and a plant-based moisturizing base for a hydrating formula that glides on skin flawlessly with no white-cast.
P.Calm Store
Lightweight and Non-Greasy Formula & Perfect for Sensitive Skin: PCALM Water-barrier sunscreen is gentle on sensitive skin and contains cape aloe, ceramide NP, and glutathione to nourish and protect your skin. Our sunscreen has a lightweight, non-greasy formula that absorbs quickly into the skin, leaving no white residue behind.
Transforms Skin for Better Makeup Application & Moisturizing and Nourishing: This sunscreen’s lightweight gel texture helps transform your skin to create the perfect canvas for makeup application.
Hypoallergenic and Dermatologist Tested & Eco-Friendly and Cruelty-Free.
Our sunscreen is suitable for all skin types and is gentle on sensitive skin.
What it is
A gel-cream sunscreen that hydrates and is formulated for sensitive skin. Spoiler: it’s great if you have a compromised skin barrier!
Ingredients
Water, Propanediol, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Dibutyl Adipate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid, Niacinamide, Tromethamine, Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, Octyldodecanol, Cetearyl Alcohol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Caprylyl Methicone, Polysilicone-15, Aloe Ferox Leaf Extract, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Glyceryl Stearate, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Methylpropanediol, Poly C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Carbomer, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Adenosine, Polyether-1, Sodium Guaiazulene Sulfonate, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Glutathione, Lactobacillus Ferment, Madecassoside, Ceramide NP, Allantoin, Butylene Glycol
Incidecoder
Notable ingredients
There’s some Niacinamide in here at a prominent place in the inci list that’ll have all the usual benefits of Niacinamide – brightening, evening out and so on.
Ceramides are great to help your irritated skin barrier, while Centella Asiatica derivative Madecassoside and Allantoin soothe irritated skin.
Filters
| Sunscreen Filter | Type | Spectrum | Remarks |
| Ethylhexyl Triazone / Uvinul T 150 | chemical / organic | photostable UVB filter,(280-320nm) with a peak protection of 314nm | oil soluble, odorless & colorless powder, available everywhere except the US & Canada |
| Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid / Mexoryl SX / Ecamsule | chemical / organic | UVA, peak absorbance at 345 nm | L’Oreal exclusive, water soluble |
| Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate / Uvinul A Plus | chemical / organic | high UVA protection (320-400 nm) with peak protection at 354nm | high photostability, can be used up to 10%, available everywhere but the US & Canada |
| Polysilicone-15 / Parsol SLX | chemical / organic | UVB (290-320 nm), peak at 312 nm | Colorless to pale yellow liquid with nice and non-shiny finish. Can stabilize Avobenzone and works well with Ensulizole |
| Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine / Tinosorb S | chemical / organic | broad spectrum (UVA & UVB, 280-400 nm, peak at 310-345 nm) | very photostable, available everywhere but the US |
P.Calm doesn’t disclose the UVA PPF, but I’m impressed by the filter combo. Mexoryl XS and Uvinul A Plus are very strong UVA filters. Also, coincidentally, this one has the exact same filter combo like the Tocobo sunscreen I like so much!
Sustainability
They claim that their products are only ‘produced only by manufacturers that have joined the international environmental convention and have signed a production convention that does not harm the environment during production’.
WHAT. While obviously international environmental conventions exist, there’re hundreds of them, and most of them are followed only by a limited number of countries. I’m confused. It doesn’t help that P.Calm’s website is only in Korean and it’s near impossible to find info about them.
Application
I use a generous two-finger lengths after toner, serum, AND moisturizer. That’s more than I’d used under SPF last year, but since I’ve started using Tretinoin, my skin is more sensitive and drier, too. Be careful applying the appropriate amount with the Water Barrier Sun Cream, because the hole in the tube’s nozzle is very small. It’s easy to under-apply this one.
The light, but firm gel-cream is odorless, and applies easily. It spreads without pilling or balling up, and while it comes white out of the tube, it’s fairly translucent on me. (There aren’t any filters responsible for white cast in here.)
Finish
Not unsurprisingly, the finish is glowy and slightly tacky to the touch. I guess it would work better if I didn’t use moisturizer, but here we are.
It does feel very hydrating and refreshing during application.
During the day, the finish becomes glowier and glowier, though, until at the end of the day, I can’t help it but have to describe it as oily. It doesn’t irritate my eyes, though.
Makeup Application
Surprisingly, makeup application is really easy over the Water Barrier Sun Cream. I’ve worn it mainly with powder or powder foundation, and that’s always a true test of a sunscreen formula – a liquid foundation nearly always works over most finishes, but powder or powder foundations really easily get patchy. But with the Water Barrier Sun Cream? Effortless.
Comparison
The Water Barrier Sun Cream reminds me a lot of the OG Beauty of Joseon sunscreen. Both are manufactured by Kolmar. Like the many, many Korean SPFs manufactured by them they’re all basically hydrating, in various degrees of glowy with some extras thrown in. For the Beauty of Joseon one that means Hanbang herbs, while for the Water Barrier Sun Cream it’s Niacinamide and soothing, hydrating ingredients. Pick your poison, I do like both approaches.
Tocobo’s sunscreen has a much more traceless finish that’s neither glowy nor sticky.
P.Calm Water Barrier Sun Cream SPF 50+ review: Checklist
Rating
I do like the P.Calm Water Barrier Sun Cream – with a caveat. I think it’s an excellent sunscreen for a compromised skin barrier, but not for the height of summer or when you spend a lot of time outside. It isn’t sweat- or water-resistant, and I think for hot weather I want a lighter formula with a dry touch finish. For sensitive or dry skin though it’s excellent, and I’ve liked wearing it in the cold.
Availability & Price
A 50ml tube is around $15 at the usual K-Beauty retailers. (Here’s a link to YesStyle.)
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