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Shangpree Phyto Essence UV Sunscreen for acne-prone skin

Average

  • HighCombination Skin Fit
  • AverageEffectiveness
  • HighSafety

Works for acne-prone skin; other sunscreens fit it better.

This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with acne-prone skin: breakouts, blackheads, and post-acne marks. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.

Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works

Lovi Assistant explains

  • Offers moderate benefits for your acne-prone skin, as niacinamide helps regulate oil and Centella Asiatica Extract provides anti-inflammatory action, though these are supportive rather than primary treatments for breakouts.
  • The formula is highly suitable for your combination skin type and provides excellent broad-spectrum sun protection with zinc oxide and ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate.
  • The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your combination skin due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.

How to apply

  • Apply this moisturizing sunscreen AM every morning as the final step of your daily routine.
  • Layer the moisturizing sunscreen after your moisturizer has fully absorbed, right before heading out into the sun .
  • Smooth a nickel-sized amount of the moisturizing sunscreen evenly over your face, avoiding harsh rubbing.
  • Apply the moisturizing sunscreen onto clean, dry skin to ensure even coverage and protection.
  • Perform a patch test before first use and avoid direct contact with the eyes.

People Say

★4.5Overall rating based on 100+ reviews

Based on limited data, users highly appreciate this sunscreen for its lightweight, essence-like texture that absorbs quickly without a white cast, making it ideal for daily wear and under makeup. It is frequently noted for its moisturizing and soothing properties, particularly for sensitive or oily skin. However, a significant number of users find the floral fragrance to be strong and the price point to be high relative to the product size.

Highlights

  • Invisible finish Mostly Mentioned
    • “Leaves no white cast even on darker skin”
    • “Blends in clear, leaving no residue at all”
    • “Doesn't cause foundation to pill”
  • Elegant texture Often Mentioned
    • “Lightweight formula with a lotion/gel-like consistency”
    • “Spreads on really nicely... dries down to a satin finish”
    • “Absorbs beautifully and leaves skin soft”
  • Skin compatibility Often Mentioned
    • “Great for oily and sensitive skin”
    • “Did not sting my eyes or skin”
    • “Soothing and calming effect”
  • Strong floral scent Often Mentioned
    • “Has a bit of a strong floral scent”
    • “Fragrance could be an issue if you are sensitive”
    • “Smells like a sophisticated modern floral, but strong”
  • Moisturizing feel Sometimes Noted
    • “Feels like a light moisturizer”
    • “Makes my skin look nourished and hydrated”
    • “Non-greasy but hydrating enough to skip moisturizer”
  • Difficult packaging Sometimes Noted
    • “Hard to squeeze the bottle”
    • “Rigid packaging makes it difficult to get the last bit out”
    • “Need to apply more pressure than expected”
  • High price point Sometimes Noted
    • “Expensive for the amount you get (50-60ml)”
    • “A splurge item compared to other K-beauty sunscreens”
    • “Pricey for daily use”
  • Not water resistant Rarely Noted
    • “Tanned quickly when I wore it for a swim”
    • “Not waterproof, better for daily office wear”
    • “Sweats off easily during outdoor activities”

Sources: lovi.care, reddit.com, gopicky.com, whatsinmyjar.com, ailynwrites.com, yesstyle.com, and more

Questions and answers

How well does Shangpree Phyto Essence UV Sunscreen work for acne-prone skin?

Shangpree Phyto Essence UV Sunscreen works moderately well for acne-prone skin, as niacinamide helps regulate oil and Centella Asiatica extract provides calming action. These supportive ingredients address breakouts, but products of this type need stronger targeted soothing and blemish-fighting ingredients along with balanced hydration that controls excess oil.

Molecules, 2023Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016

Which ingredients make this sunscreen a good fit for acne-prone skin?

Niacinamide and Centella Asiatica Extract help this sunscreen fit your acne-prone skin by regulating oil and calming redness. A product of this type needs effective soothing ingredients that address breakouts and blemishes while providing sun protection without excess oiliness.

Molecules, 2023Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016

What do Phyto-Essences do for acne-prone skin?

Phyto-Essences help acne-prone skin by fighting the bacteria that cause breakouts and calming redness. These plant-based blends are unlikely to irritate, helping keep skin clear and smooth.

Molecules, 2022Microorganisms, 2023

What does Zinc Oxide do for acne-prone skin?

Zinc oxide helps calm acne-prone skin by reducing breakouts, redness, and the bacteria linked to pimples. Studies show that using it on your skin is generally safe and unlikely to cause irritation.

Journal of Controlled Release, 2025Biomedicines, 2025

Where does this sunscreen go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?

This sunscreen goes as the last step of your morning routine, right after your moisturizer. It is unlikely to cause irritation and provides broad-spectrum sun protection while helping calm acne-prone skin with soothing extracts.

Journal of Controlled Release, 2025Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016

Can I use this sunscreen with retinol, and in what order?

You can use this sunscreen in the morning as the final step of your daytime routine after applying your moisturizer, while saving your retinol for your evening routine. This sunscreen is very safe and unlikely to cause irritation on your skin.

How often should I use it?

You can use this sunscreen every morning as the final step of your daytime routine. A product for acne-prone skin needs ingredients that help calm redness and regulate oil without clogging pores.

Molecules, 2023Journal of Controlled Release, 2025

Can this sunscreen clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?

This moisturizing spf works for acne-prone skin, though other sunscreens fit it better. A sunscreen for this skin needs ingredients like niacinamide to help regulate oil and soothing extracts to calm redness.

Molecules, 2023Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016

Is it fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.

What the research says

  • Co-delivery of paeonol and madecassoside via nanoemulsions improved transdermal delivery, promoted barrier repair proteins, inhibited inflammatory cytokine secretion in cellular and 3D models, and reduced transepidermal water loss and acne in human facial skin compared to free components.

    Molecules, 2023
  • Cosmetic formulations containing 5% Centella asiatica extract showed the best efficacy in improving skin moisture and decreasing transepidermal water loss, while also exhibiting antiinflammatory properties in 25 volunteers compared to baseline measurements.

    Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2016
  • Biomimetic hyaluronic acid-stabilized zinc oxide nanoparticles selectively inhibited C. acnes, outperformed erythromycin in preclinical acne models, and safely reduced acne lesions and redness in a clinical trial.

    Journal of Controlled Release, 2025
  • Topical 0.5% hyaluronic-ZnO nanogel applied twice daily reduced inflammatory-lesion counts by 58% at week four in human subjects compared to baseline without causing erythema.

    Biomedicines, 2025
  • The application of a sunscreen formulation containing ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, ethylhexyl salicylate, methyl anthranilate, and octocrylene does not significantly affect critical acne-related species such as Cutibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus epidermidis, refuting the induction of facial dysbiosis in men.

    Archives of Dermatological Research, 2024
  • Nels cream achieved a similar reduction in inflammatory and noninflammatory lesion counts compared to 5% benzoyl peroxide in acne vulgaris patients, but caused significantly fewer side-effects such as peeling and dryness.

    Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 2000
  • Topically applied coated and uncoated zinc oxide nanoparticles under flexing and massage are retained in the stratum corneum with no significant penetration into the viable epidermis and no cellular toxicity in human skin.

    Nanomedicine, 2016
  • Microfine titanium dioxide does not penetrate human skin when formulated in an oil-in-water emulsion with the pigment dispersed in the aqueous phase, compared to oily dispersions and liposomal encapsulation which allow deeper skin penetration.

    International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2000
  • Replacing microsized titanium dioxide and zinc oxide with nanoparticles in sunscreens eliminates opaqueness and alters UV protection balance while inducing (photo)cyto- and genotoxicity and penetrating viable skin layers during long-term exposures.

    Nanotechnology, Science and Applications, 2011
  • Microfine zinc oxide and titanium dioxide do not penetrate the stratum corneum of porcine skin in vitro, indicating that their use in sunscreens does not pose a health risk from internal exposure.

    Toxicology in Vitro, 2006
  • Topical application of 0.1% hyaluronic acid formulations of different molecular weights led to significant improvements in skin hydration and elasticity, with low-molecular-weight formulations also significantly reducing wrinkle depth in seventy-six female subjects compared to a vehicle control.

    Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011
  • Topical application of hyaluronic acid in conjunction with free gingival graft significantly reduced donor site postoperative pain until day 7 compared to normal saline, with no significant differences in graft dimensions or patient satisfaction.

    Clinical Oral Investigations, 2022
  • Treatment with a hyaluronic acid-containing mouth rinse or topical gel led to significant lesion reduction, pain relief, and normalization of lesion color in adult patients with minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis, with the gel formulation showing an earlier healing onset at 3 days.

    BMC Oral Health, 2019
  • Topical green tea extract significantly improved clinical symptoms, tear breakup times, and meibomian gland health compared to standard treatment in patients with dry eye and Meibomian Gland Dysfunction.

    Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, 2017
  • Topical low-dose green tea extract reduces UVB-induced p53 expression and apoptosis in human skin keratinocytes compared to placebo.

    Experimental Dermatology, 2009
  • An anti-acne hydrogel containing Aloe barbadensis, Garcinia mangostana, and Camellia sinensis extracts showed superior antiacne and antiblotch activities compared to 1% clindamycin gel in sixty subjects with mild-moderate acne.

    Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019

Why other sunscreens fit acne-prone skin better

  • Turmeric and curcumin products, both oral and topical, showed statistically significant improvement in skin disease severity in ten out of eighteen studies compared with control groups.

    Phytotherapy Research, 2016

Ingredients

Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Zinc Oxide, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Titanium Dioxide, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Caprylyl Methicone, Dimethicone, Peg-10 Dimethicone, Sodium Chloride, Aluminum Hydroxide, Stearic Acid, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Adenosine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Centella Asiatica Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract Matricaria Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract Licorice Root Extract

Behind this fit score

Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.

How does it fit your skin?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.