K-beauty brand Purito makes a $15 sunscreen that also acts as a lightweight moisturizer, and it's fragrance-free for sensitive skin

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• K-beauty brand Purito's Centella Green Level Unscented Sunscreen is a $15 chemical sunscreen for the face that can also act as a moisturizer.
• It's cruelty-free and formulated without essential oils, avobenzone, oxybenzone, zinc, artificial fragrance, or animal products. It's also available on Amazon.
• When I use it, I'm often able to skip moisturizer and makeup because it makes my complexion look radiant.

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Do you wear sunscreen every day? If not, you're not alone. Only one in 10 Americans use a daily sunscreen, according to a 2019 report by RealSelf.

However, the American Academy of Dermatology recommends you wear sunscreen whenever you go outside. That includes overcast days, too — up to 80% of UV rays can penetrate cloud cover. Daily sunscreen application may seem tedious, but it's an important step if you want to save your skin from burning, wrinkling, and — most importantly — developing skin cancer.

On my quest to find a daily facial sunscreen that would not only provide sufficient protection from the sun's harmful rays but also nourish my skin, I found the Centella Green Level Unscented SPF 50 PA++++ Sunscreen from K-beauty brand Purito.

This formula is a revamp of Purito's original Green Level Safe Sunscreen. Unlike its predecessor, this iteration is free of potentially irritating essential oils and fragrances, making it a viable option for anyone with sensitive skin or an aversion to smells.

This is a chemical sunscreen, which means it contains filters that absorb the sun's rays. That's in contrast to a mineral (or physical) sunscreen, which has filters that deflect UV rays. As a chemical sunscreen, the Purito formula leaves little to no white cast — a common disadvantage that comes with using a mineral sunscreen.

What makes this facial sunscreen formula so special and how does it work to protect the skin?

If you're looking for a simple review of how the sunscreen feels to use, skip ahead — but if you want to know more about the formula itself, here's a breakdown of the ingredients:

First of all, this chemical sunscreen is formulated without Avobenzone and oxybenzone, which are two of the most common chemical filters found in sunscreens sold in the United States. Although they're FDA-approved, they're not without controversy.

It was recently discovered that avobenzone and oxybenzone can be absorbed into the bloodstream. While more long-term research is needed on how harmful this could actually be to humans, we generally don't recommend using products that feature these ingredients. Not to mention that oxybenzone has a reputation for disrupting hormone production (although even that claim needs more weight behind it). Ecologically speaking, sunscreens containing oxybenzone are likely destroying coral reefs — from reef bleaching to deformation of baby coral.

The chemical filters in Purito's sunscreen are ethylhexyl triazone and diethylamino hydroxybenzoyl hexyl benzoate (DHHB). If these don't sound familiar to you, it's because neither one of these has technically been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration, but they're both deemed safe for use in Asia and Europe.

Ethylhexyl triazone and DHHB are considered to be highly photostable chemical filters. In other words, they can withstand UV rays for a very long time without degrading, providing your skin with ample protection from the sun. (Avobenzone, by comparison, is very photo-unstable on its own.) There's no current research indicating that either of these ingredients can be as easily absorbed into the bloodstream as avobenzone or oxybenzone. They're also not known to cause any substantial harm to coral reefs.

The Purito sunscreen is rated SPF 50 PA++++. Though the American standard for sunscreen ratings does not recognize the PA scale, this is considered a broad spectrum sunscreen as it protects skin from both burn-causing UVB rays and wrinkle-producing UVA rays.

The star ingredient in Purito's sunscreen is centella asiatica. Also known as "tiger grass," "cica," or plain old "centella," this antioxidant-rich ingredient can be found in a wide range of skin-care products such as moisturizers, serums, and sheet masks. "[Centella] is believed to strengthen and repair the skin barrier, soothe irritated skin, and combat aging, helping to minimize the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines," says Dr. David Lortscher, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Curology.

Centella, however, is not a common sunscreen ingredient. So what role does it play in Purito's formula?

Dr. Lortscher explains that a centella-infused sunscreen "may provide the added benefit of repairing sun-damaged skin" plus it has "anti-inflammatory properties, which could help counter sun damage."

Dr. Tsippora Shainhouse, a board-certified dermatologist based in Beverly Hills, adds that centella could keep skin "feeling hydrated since the sun can have a drying, dehydrating effect."

Purito Centella Green Level Unscented Sunscreen also contains niacinamide and hyaluronic acid. Niacinamide is a versatile ingredient that brightens skin, reduces inflammatory acne, and smooths wrinkles. Hyaluronic acid can attract and hold 1000 times its weight in moisture. The combination of these ingredients means the Purito sunscreen can effectively pull double duty as a nourishing moisturizer.

What it feels like to wear

Thanks to the Purito Centella Green Level Unscented Sunscreen, I now look forward to wearing SPF every day. It not only protects my skin from sun damage, it also gives me a radiant, dewy complexion.

I've only been wearing sunscreen regularly for the last two years, but I could never find the right balance that worked for me; thick, goopy formulas felt gross, and watery essences that glided on nicely were too laden with alcohol, which irritated my senses and my skin.

Neither of those issues are the case with the Purito Centella Sunscreen. It's creamy yet lightweight and easy to spread. Since it's a chemical sunscreen, it absorbs right into the skin without any lingering white cast.

I also generally love how lightweight and moisturizing it is. It doesn't pill or leave any embarrassing white streaks. Plus, it doesn't smell bad (or more precisely, like anything).

I also like to think of it as a primer since it plays nice with my foundation and concealer. However, I can easily go without makeup when wearing the Purito sunscreen. The centella, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid work together to even out my complexion and give me a healthy glow.

The bottom line

I applaud Purito's decision to create a formula without essential oils and artificial fragrance. It makes it easy for me to recommend this sunscreen to anyone, especially those with sensitive skin.

A daily SPF is a must, especially if you use acids that make your skin photosensitive. If you'd prefer to use a sunscreen that feels less more like a lightweight moisturizer, look no further than Purito's gentle yet effective formula.

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