A few pats is all it really takes to convert a person over to cushion compacts. The coverage, the lightness, the ease and instant gratification of application—it’s an easy sell. So if the cushion market’s is cornering the makeup-wearing women demographic, who’s left to sell cushions too?
In Korea, that’d be babies.
Hear me out. It’s not as crazy as it sounds.
There’s a whole subspecies of sunscreen-only cushion compacts that are pure skincare, no makeup (and some with a 90/10 split). They’ve made themselves the ideal vehicle for SPF application to little ones who don’t like being gooped up and slathered in lotion unwillingly (and really, few of us do). Of course, they also work for anyone who wants the option to pass on foundation, but still get the instant SPF re-up offered by the cushion format.
For babies specifically, there are fragrance-free, non-tinted options. Primera has a cushion with a formula matching this description—their Baby Sun Cushion SPF 32. And in Korea, Belif’s Baby Bo line has a downright adorable exterior and a metal cushion plate for extra hygienic application (you’re not putting a dirty puff back into the pure cushion this way). I’m told that the kind, gentle padding of an SPF-laden puff is much more acceptable to small children than being lubed up and swiped off.
Of course, that goes for a lot of non-children too. And while you could just go for one of the baby options, if you find yourself interested in straight sunscreen out of convenient compact, there’s a decidedly grown-up version: AmorePacific’s Resort Collection Sun Protection Cushion SPF 30+. It’s a glamorous interpretation of the baby versions—more Cancun than sandbox. And the formula isn’t totally white, but isn’t really tinted either—the cushion is soaked in a pale ecru fluid which is coastally scented and cool to the touch for your getaway-daydream pleasure. All that’s left on the skin is a soft, allover glisten (and ironclad, re-applicable protection). For those easy, breezy days where you want to show off your skin but still have the puff pat-down experience, the sunscreen compact can’t be beat.