Review : A'Pieu Pure Block Natural Sun Cream SPF45 PA+++






Product Description 
A'Pieu Pure Block Natural Sun Cream has a smooth texture with good spreadability without any stickiness or greasiness. It contains natural aloe vera leaf extracts to give skin comfort.

Benefits : 
Aloe Vera : Soothing
Berry Blossom Complex : Brightening
Mild System : No denatured alcohol, talc, tar pigment, mineral oil and benzophenone

I first fell in love with A'Pieu Pure Block Natural Sun Cream when I received a complimentary sample and sought to look out for the full sized product. Despite believing in the efficacy of physical sunscreen more than chemical sunscreen,  the texture of a suncare product still matters to me. A'Pieu Pure Block Natural Sun Cream ticks all the right boxes - no stickiness or greasiness.


I managed to get the full retail size in a Doraemon limited edition designed packaging as shown above during my last Testerkorea haul and is currently using the 2nd tube with the normal packaging. Because I have yet to find a physical sunscreen where the texture agrees with my skin, hence I will continue to use the Pure Block Natural Sun Cream.

A'Pieu Pure Block Natural Sun Cream is a dream come true for me, in terms of texture and that is probably why it is A'Pieu's bestselling product too. You have to try it yourself to believe it.

The sun cream is housed in a white tube with a twist cap. The hole is just right where the contents are dispensed easily without much wastage. At 50ml with SPF 45 and PA+++, the product is affordable at below S$15. In Korea, it probably costs less than $10. It is also a broad spectrum sun cream which protects against UVA and UVB rays.

Lightweight with a lotion-cream finishing, the texture makes spreading easy, with a cooling sensation. And because it is so lightweight, it is easy to apply a few layers ( without hating it, simply because it is non-oily and non-sticky ) for maximum protection where the sun would be its peak. There is an added fragrance but not overpowering.

Where To Purchase : Shopee | Amazon | Amazon SG | Yesstyle (GALORE8 for further 2%-5% off)

I don't have the ingredient list since the tube description is all written in Korean. But a kind soul has listed all the ingredients on Cosdna.


As you can see from the above illustration, the natural sun cream provides full UVA and UVB protection and uses 4 key ingredients for that.

Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate (Maximum recommended by FDA: 7.5%) :
Often listed on sunscreen products as Octinoxate, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate (also called Octyl Methoxycinnamate) is used in products that are applied to the skin to absorb, reflect or scatter UV rays; it protects the skin from sunburn and other damaging effects of the sun. Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate also protects cosmetics and personal care products from deterioration caused by UV rays and allows them to last longer in high UV conditions.

It is a chemical sun blocking agent that absorbs ultraviolet radiation in UVB range.
However, when Octinoxate is exposed to sunlight, "it is converted into a less UV absorbent form hence it is not very stable. This conversion can be partly prevented by certain other UV blockers, particularly bemotrizinol (Tinosorb M). 
Note that if Octinoxate combined with Avobenzone, it degrades even faster.

According to the EWG, Octinoxate is a moderate hazard, primarily because it can lead to developmental and reproductive toxicity through enhanced skin absorption. It can produce estrogen-like effects and should not be used by pregnant women and children. 

Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid : 
Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid is an organic compound used in sunscreens and other cosmetic and beauty products with a sunscreen or SPF component because of its ability to block UVB rays. It is known in the United States as Ensuizole, according to Wikipedia. Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid has the ability to block UVB rays, but does not protect against long range UVA rays; because of this, it is often paired with other ingredients, including avobenzone, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide or Tinosorb. Its potency and protective qualities do not degrade in sun exposure, and it is possible that is also partly decreases the degradation of other UVB blocker ingredients in sunscreens. Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid also has the ability to convert incident ultraviolet radiation into less damaging infrared radiation, or heat. It has a light, non-greasy finish (Source)

Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane : 
In the United States, when this ingredient is used in sun protection products, it will be listed on the label as Avobenzone. Avobenzone, when applied to the skin, absorbs UV rays. In addition to causing sunburn, UV radiation is a significant cause of premature aging of the skin and contributes to the development of melanoma and other forms of skin cancer.

According to this source, tests have revealed Avobenzone’s tendency to significantly degrade in light over time, lessening its sun protection capabilities. For this reason, most sunscreens containing the ingredient also include photo-stabilizing ingredients like octocrylene
Avobenzone appears to be relatively non-toxic and non-irritating to the skin. However, because it is often used in conjunction with photo-stabilizers, there is a greater risk for skin irritation and low-level toxicity. Furthermore, some studies have demonstrated it to be absorbed by the body and secreted into urine, and is therefore not recommended to use on children or pregnant women


In this link, the writer mentioned that though this ingredient may be a somewhat more safe product than oxybenzone but after it has been on the skin for a period of time, it could actually lead to increased reactive oxygen series (free radical damage) from what has penetrated a little deeper into the skin.


Bis-ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine :
Bemotrizinol is an oil soluble chemical agent absorbing ultraviolet rays in both UVA and UVB range. It is patented and marketed by Ciba Specialty Chemicals as Tinosorb S. It has an important advantage of being photostable, i.e. it does not degrade and lose effectiveness on exposure to sunlight. Furthermore, its presense can at least partially protect less photostable UV blockers (e.g. UVA-blocker avobenzone) from degradation. As of the time of this writing, it is approved in Europe and Australia but not in the USA. Unlike some other organic sunscreen agents, bemotrizinol has not been shown to have hormone-like (estrogenic) effects in cell cultures.
Bemotrizinol appears to be relatively non-toxic and rarely causes skin irritation. However, as with many synthetic chemicals, it is unclear whether bemotrizinol may produce low-level skin damage and/or systemic effects with long-term use. More research on bemotrizinol safety is needed.
Virtually no single sun blocking ingredient can provide complete, broad protection alone, including Bemotrizinol. The good news is that bemotrizinol seems to be compatible with most other UVB and UVA blocking agents. In fact, bemotrizinol inhibits the degradation of some insufficiently photostable agents like avobenzone. (Source)

Based on the 4 sunscreen ingredients, it seems that the existence of Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane will cause degrading with time, however, the inclusion of Bis-ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine can help to inhibit this degradation. That said, A'Pieu Pure Block Natural Sun Cream SPF45 PA++++ isn't perfect with ingredients that are controversial.

However, it is still safe enough, according to EWG, with a moderate hazard score of 6.





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