Head to head

Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50+ vs Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen SPF 50

Same comparison whichever way you searched it: Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen SPF 50 vs Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50+.

The bottom line

Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50+ and Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen SPF 50 are close on what they deliver, so it comes down to your skin: Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen SPF 50 is the kinder pick for sensitive or reactive skin since it is fragrance-free.

BioréUV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50+Sunscreen · ~€10See every ingredient in UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50+, decoded
Supergoop!Unseen Sunscreen SPF 50Sunscreen · ~€42See every ingredient in Unseen Sunscreen SPF 50, decoded

Which should you pick?

Pick UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50+ if

  • plump, lasting hydration is what you want
  • you want the more affordable option
  • you prefer a simpler, more minimal formula

Pick Unseen Sunscreen SPF 50 if

  • your skin is sensitive or reacts to fragrance
  • you want more actives working at once

What each delivers

HydrationBarrierBrighteningOil-controlAnti-aging
UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50+Unseen Sunscreen SPF 50
  • Hydration
    84
  • Barrier repair
    77
  • Brightening / tone
    02
  • Oil-control & blemishes
    24
  • Anti-aging
    44

Side by side

UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50+Unseen Sunscreen SPF 50
TypeSunscreenSunscreen
Key activesTinosorb S, Octinoxate, Ethylhexyl TriazoneAvobenzone, Octocrylene, Shea Butter
TextureFinish varies by batch and region, so check matte-vs-dewy before committing if that matters to you.Finish varies by batch and region, so check matte-vs-dewy before committing if that matters to you.
FragranceContains fragranceNone detected
Fungal-acne safeNot likelyNot likely
PregnancyNo flagged activesNo flagged actives
Ingredients36 listed22 listed
Price~€10~€42

What's in one but not the other

The two labels share 2 of the 56 ingredients between them. The actives are where they part company.

What each one adds acts on On top of the skin, The stratum corneum for Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50+ and On top of the skin, The stratum corneum for Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen SPF 50. That is the layer each is understood to act on, not how deep it travels.

Only in UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50+

Both share

No active in common.

Where each label stops telling you the dose

Ingredients are listed in order of how much is inside, but only down to 1%. Below that the brand may list them in any order it likes, so the bottom of a label is a set, not a ranking. These two stop being a ranking in very different places.

Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50+

  1. 1Water
  2. 2Alcohol
  3. 3Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
  4. 4Lauryl Methacrylate/Sodium Methacrylate Crosspolymer
  5. 5C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
  6. 6Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
  7. 7Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
  8. 8Dimethicone
  9. 9Ethylhexyl Triazone
  10. 10Silica Dimethyl Silylate
  11. 11Dipropylene Glycol
  12. 12Xylitol
  13. 13Dextrin Palmitate
  14. 14Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
  15. 15Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
  16. 16Polysilicone-9
  17. 17Glyceryl Stearate
  18. 18Aminomethyl Propanol
  19. 19Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer
  20. 20Agar
  21. 21Isoceteth-20
  22. 22C30-45 Alkyl Methicone
  23. 23Polyvinyl Alcohol
  24. 24C30-45 Olefin
  25. 25Sodium Hydroxide
  26. 26Butylene Glycol
  27. 27Propylene Glycol
  28. 28Sodium Hyaluronate
  29. 29Royal Jelly Extract
  30. 30Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract
  31. 31Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract
  32. 32Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract
  33. 33Phenoxyethanol
  34. 34Disodium EDTA
  35. 35BHT
  36. 36Parfum (Fragrance)

4 of 36 sit below the line, marked by Phenoxyethanol.

Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen SPF 50

  1. 1Avobenzone
  2. 2Homosalate
  3. 3Octisalate
  4. 4Octocrylene
  5. 5Isododecane
  6. 6Dimethicone/Bis-Isobutyl PPG-20 Crosspolymer
  7. 7Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
  8. 8Dimethicone
  9. 9Dimethicone Crosspolymer
  10. 10Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
  11. 11Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter
  12. 12Physalis Angulata Extract
  13. 13Himanthalia Elongata Extract
  14. 14Meadowfoam Estolide
  15. 15Tocopherol
  16. 16Jojoba Esters
  17. 17Polymethylsilsesquioxane
  18. 18Caprylyl Glycol
  19. 19Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate
  20. 20Silica
  21. 21Bisabolol
  22. 22Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

8 of 22 sit below the line, marked by Tocopherol.

Below the line is not too little to work: ceramides, retinoids and peptides all act far under a percent. It means the position stops carrying information. Where the line falls is inferred from the first ingredient whose whole job is done at a fraction of a percent, so it is a close read of the label rather than a number from the formula sheet.

The molecule doing the work

UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50+Tinosorb S
Unseen Sunscreen SPF 50Avobenzone

Better for…

  • Dryness & dehydrationUV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50+
  • Sensitive, reactive skinUnseen Sunscreen SPF 50

Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50+ is the cheaper of the two (~€10 vs ~€42).

Ready to pick one?

Affiliate links, so a purchase sends us a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Glow Simplified earns from qualifying purchases. We make and sell nothing here, so the verdict above never bends toward a sale.

Common questions

Is Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50+ or Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen SPF 50 better for dryness & dehydration?

For dryness & dehydration, Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50+ is the stronger pick by our read of the two formulas. Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50+ and Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen SPF 50 are close on what they deliver, so it comes down to your skin: Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen SPF 50 is the kinder pick for sensitive or reactive skin since it is fragrance-free.

Which is cheaper, Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50+ or Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen SPF 50?

Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50+ is the cheaper of the two (~€10 vs ~€42).

Can I use Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50+ and Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen SPF 50 together?

They are both sunscreens, so you would normally pick one rather than layer both in the same step. You can keep both and alternate them (morning and night, or on different days) if you like variety, but you do not need two.

What the scene shows

The cross-section at the top of this page is not decoration and not a diagram of the skin in general: it places the molecules these two are sold on at the layer each is understood to act on. Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50+ is placed by Tinosorb S (on top of the skin), Octinoxate (on top of the skin), Ethylhexyl Triazone (on top of the skin). Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen SPF 50 is placed by Avobenzone (on top of the skin), Octocrylene (on top of the skin), Shea Butter (the stratum corneum). A layer is where an ingredient does its work, never how deep it travels, and never a claim about how well it works.

Back up to the scene

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