Skip to content
Kao · Sunscreens

UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence

$12.98·70 ml·Leave-on
82
Low concern

Why this score

Concern47 / 55
  • Fragrance: watch if sensitive

How much genuine, cited concern the ingredients carry, weighted by how much of each is likely present and whether the product stays on or rinses off.

Transparency12 / 20
  • Uses an undisclosed "fragrance/parfum" blend, so its scent allergens are hidden.

Whether the full ingredient list, and any fragrance, are actually disclosed.

Formulation restraint23 / 25
  • 1 known irritant or fragrance-allergen ingredient: Fragrance.

Needless irritant or allergen load for the product type. A clean, purposeful formula scores well without any "free-from" theater.

Scored by PlainBody Editorial against the PlainScore method · Label checked July 2026

What’s inside

WaterGenerally safe

The base most products are built on. It carries the other ingredients and has no safety concern.

Full ingredient details →
OctinoxateWatch if sensitive

A widely used UVB chemical filter with a long safety record at US-approved concentrations. Some lab and animal studies have raised questions about hormone activity and coral reef impact, which is why a few jurisdictions cap or restrict it, but human-relevant risk at labeled use levels is considered low by regulators.

Full ingredient details →
Ethylhexyl TriazoneGenerally safe

An organic UVB filter approved in the EU and widely used in Korean and Japanese sunscreens at up to 5 percent. It is highly photostable and shows low skin penetration in the reviewed data. It is not on the FDA-approved UV filter list, so US-formulated sunscreens do not use it; that is a regulatory-process gap rather than a documented safety finding against the ingredient.

Full ingredient details →
Isopropyl PalmitateWatch if sensitive

A palm/coconut-derived fatty ester used to soften skin and help dissolve oil-soluble UV filters. It sits fairly high on lab comedogenicity scales, so some acne-prone users report clogged pores, though this does not translate into a broader safety concern for general use.

Full ingredient details →
Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl BenzoateGenerally safe

A modern UVA sunscreen filter widely used in Europe and Asia, valued for photostability and low skin penetration. It is not yet approved as a sunscreen active in the United States, which reflects a slower regulatory pathway rather than a specific safety finding against it.

Full ingredient details →
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl TriazineGenerally safe

A broad-spectrum organic UV filter used widely in European and international sunscreens. Approved by the EU and other regulators as safe at cosmetic levels.

Full ingredient details →
DimethiconeCommonly feared, low concern

A silicone that gives a smooth, soft feel and helps hold water in the skin. Inert and well studied.

Full ingredient details →
GlycerinGenerally safe

A humectant that draws water into the skin. One of the best-studied, best-tolerated ingredients in personal care.

Full ingredient details →
Glyceryl StearateGenerally safe

A common emulsifier and texture-softener made from glycerin and stearic acid. CIR review of this class found no evidence of reproductive, carcinogenic, sensitizing, or phototoxic effects in the studies examined.

Full ingredient details →
PropanediolGenerally safe

A corn-derived solvent and humectant that has largely replaced propylene glycol in "clean" formulas; CIR reviewed the alkane diol group and found use concentrations up to about 40 percent in leave-on products like deodorant sticks with no meaningful irritation signal.

Full ingredient details →
Vinyl DimethiconeCommonly feared, low concern

A silicone with vinyl groups used in long-wear primers and foundations for enhanced adherence and smoothness. It is inert and well tolerated at cosmetic concentrations.

Full ingredient details →
Potassium HydroxideGenerally safe

Used like sodium hydroxide to adjust pH in cosmetics at very low levels. At finished-product pH, it is neutralized and well tolerated.

Full ingredient details →
Sodium HydroxideGenerally safe

A strong alkali used in tiny amounts to adjust the pH of cosmetics to safe, skin-friendly levels. At the pH found in finished products, sodium hydroxide is neutralized and well tolerated.

Full ingredient details →
Hyaluronic AcidGenerally safe

A humectant that holds water at the skin surface for a more hydrated look. No safety concern.

Full ingredient details →
PhenoxyethanolCommonly feared, low concern

A widely used preservative, safe at the legal limit of 1% or less. Often the "paraben-free" replacement.

Full ingredient details →
BHTCommonly feared, low concern

A small-dose synthetic antioxidant that prevents oils and fragrance in a formula from oxidizing. Not shown to pose a toxicological risk at the levels used in cosmetics.

Full ingredient details →
FragranceWatch if sensitive

An undisclosed scent blend that can contain dozens of components. The single most common cause of cosmetic contact allergy, and the blend is not itemized, so you cannot see what is in it.

Full ingredient details →

Note: this product hides its scent as an undisclosed “fragrance/parfum” blend, so its specific allergens are not on the label.

Lower-concern alternatives

Same category, higher PlainScore.

Cosmetic information for general education, not medical advice. Concern ratings are evidence-graded and cited on each ingredient page. See how we score.