Krave beauty is a company founded by Liah Yoo in the USA and South Korea. I have been following Liah for many years, and I discovered her brand on her channel.
She has launched The Beet Shield at the beginning of November 2018. It is the exact formula as the Beet the sun SPF50+ PA++++ sold in South Korea. Krave Beauty had to substitute the name to sell it because the UV filters used are not yet authorized in the USA. To my knowledge, the Beet shield is the first sunscreen using new sunscreen filters available in the USA providing great UVA protection what
Sunscreen filters
The Beet Shield is a sunscreen of SPF50+ PA++++. SPF50+ is superior to 60 and UVA protection is the highest using the Japanese rating (PA rating). I always recommend using the highest protection, read my article on the subject (click me) to know why.
This sunscreen contains 5 UV filters. Two filters absorb the UVA rays and 3 the UVB.
UVA sunscreen filters
◉ Uvinul A plus (Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate) is an outstanding UVA filter that covers the full spectrum of UVA (type I and II) and is photostable
◉ Tinosorb S (Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine) is one of the gold standard UV filters as it protects against the full spectrum of UVB and UVA. Even at low concentration, it increases the protection against UVB and UVA significantly.
UVB sunscreen filters
◉ Tinosorb S read up below
◉ Uvinul T150 (Ethylhexyl Triazone) is a fantastic UVB protectant even at low concentration, highly effective and bonds strongly to the dead skin layer.
◉ Amiloxate (Isoamyl p-Methoxycinnamate). This UVB filter is less seen in a formula; it is a UVB protectant. Amiloxate is not the same as octinoxate (ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate).
◉ Parsol SLX (Polysilicone-15) is silicone based UVB absorber. This UVB filter is an interesting sunscreen due to how it works. It increases the SPF with the other filters.
Antioxidants
Krave beauty the Beet shield contains a bunch of antioxidants. Beetroot extract (Beta vulgaris extract), Lithospermum erythrorhizon extract, tea extract (Epigallocatechin Gallate), vitamin C (Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate) and resveratrol.
I haven’t found any literature on the use of beetroot extract on the skin so I cannot tell you if it works as an antioxidant topically. However, the rest of the antioxidants are known antioxidants when applied on the skin.
It is always a bonus to add antioxidants in a sunscreen formulation. UV irradiation provokes reaction oxidation species in the skin. But, I do not know, how effective there are because sunscreens are formulated to form a homogenous film on top of the skin. Therefore, antioxidants may not be reaching the deep layers of the skin.
Alcohol
If you have read or watched my video on my sunscreen requirement (click me) you would know that I don’t recommend sunscreen containing a high amount of alcohol (ethanol). I have asked Krave beauty about the concentration of ethanol, and it is less than 4%. By the way, their consumer service is on top.
On Krave Beauty’s website they mention:
“In order to ensure that the product performs to its highest degree, we have carefully chosen to include ethanol in our formulation, which may be concerning to some, but let us explain. Ethanol serves many purposes in skin care formulation. We use it to stabilize the UV filters, create a lightweight consistency and as a solvent in our formulation.”
At 4% ethanol, there is barely any downsides.
I would be cautious only if:
◉ you are suffering from an extremely compromised skin barrier,
◉ you are suffering from severe rosacea, acne, eczema…
◉ after a professional peeling or laser resurfacing,
For the rest of us, the alcohol in this baby is perfectly fine.
This sunscreen is fragrance-free and contains no notorious allergen. This is a clean, safe formula.
The texture
The texture is a cross between light milk and a watery essence. The texture feels lightweight and glides smoothly on the skin. From all the sunscreen I have tested, it is one of the most pleasant I have used so far along with the Klairs Soft Airy UV essence (click me for the review).
The finish
The finish is on the dewy side. It is not greasy and works beautifully under makeup. I did not detect any white cast. Due to the UV filters used, this sunscreen is on the moisturizing side. If you find it too moisturizing put less moisturizer or dilute your moisturizer with an essence. I explain how to do it on my video about The Ordinary Natural factors (click me).
My conclusion
What Krave beauty did with Beet Shield and Beet the sun is a work of art. This sunscreen is close to perfection. They have managed to have pleasant texture and a finish without compromising the UVA protection. The filters they have used are currently the best and the safest available yet. This sunscreen is ideal for daily use. I am in love.
⚗️ Products mentioned:
- Krave beauty Beet the sun aka Beet the sun SPF50+ PA++++ ⎪https://kravebeauty.com/products/the-beet-shield
- Klairs Soft Airy UV Essence SPF50+ PA++++ ⎪https://www.wishtrend.com/home/1827-soft-airy-uv-essence-spf-50-pa-klairs.html
Thank you for reading me.
A bientôt,
Cyrille
