Anua sunscreen review: Silky Moisture for a gel finish, Zero Cast for water resistance
Updated October 22, 2026
Both Anua sunscreens use chemical UV filters, so neither is a mineral sunscreen, and Anua describes both as leaving no white film or chalky cast. Pick the Heartleaf Silky Moisture Sunscreen (SPF50+ PA++++, $16.99) for a light, gel-like layer on dry or combination skin; pick Zero Cast Moisturizing Finish (broad-spectrum SPF 50, $14.99) if you want 80-minute water resistance, a dewier finish and a non-comedogenic-tested claim.
The bigger difference isn't texture. Silky Moisture is a Korean-format sunscreen with five newer-generation filters and a PA grade for UVA. Zero Cast is labeled the American way, with the four filters common in US drugstore sunscreens and a stated water-resistance time.
This is a researched comparison of current Anua and Sleepy Hello product information, checked October 2026. We haven't worn or tested either sunscreen; texture and finish descriptions are Anua's, and the buying advice comes from comparing filters, labels, directions, sizes and prices.
What you're buying with each Anua sunscreen
Anua has two face sunscreens at Sleepy Hello, both in 50 ml tubes. They share a moisturizing pitch, but they come from different labeling systems and use different filters.
Anua Heartleaf Silky Moisture Sunscreen, 50 ml is $16.99 at Sleepy Hello, checked October 2026, or about $0.34 per ml. It is rated SPF50+ PA++++. SPF measures protection against UVB, the rays mainly behind sunburn; the PA plus signs grade UVA protection, and four pluses is the top grade. Anua describes a light, fluid, gel-like texture with a breathable finish, no sticky feel and no white film, and positions it for all skin types, including sensitive skin.
Its ingredient list opens with water, houttuynia cordata (heartleaf) extract, dibutyl adipate (a light emollient ester that helps dissolve the filters) and propanediol (a humectant). Then come two UV filters, ethylhexyl triazone and terephthalylidene dicamphor sulfonic acid, followed by glycerin, niacinamide, caprylyl methicone (a lightweight silicone) and polymethylsilsesquioxane (a silicone powder that softens shine). Panthenol and adenosine sit further down, alongside a run of plant extracts such as persimmon leaf, grape, safflower, coffee seed, green tea and chestnut shell. Anua doesn't print a niacinamide percentage. The list on our page includes no fragrance and no drying alcohol; cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol used for texture.
Anua Zero Cast Moisturizing Finish Sunscreen, 50 ml is $14.99, checked October 2026, about $0.30 per ml. Its claims read like a US Drug Facts label: broad-spectrum SPF 50 and 80-minute water resistance. US labels use a broad-spectrum test for UVA instead of a PA grade, which is why you won't see plus signs on it. The active filters are avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate and octocrylene.
Anua describes Zero Cast as oil-free, lightweight and non-greasy with a dewy finish, says it blends into all skin tones without a chalky white cast, and credits glycerin and hyaluronic acid for its moisturizing side. Our product page doesn't list the inactive ingredients or the filter percentages, and we couldn't confirm them on Anua's site, so read the Drug Facts panel on the tube if you avoid a specific ingredient.
Is Anua sunscreen mineral or chemical?
Both Anua sunscreens are chemical sunscreens. Neither lists zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, the two mineral filters, among its UV filters.
Chemical filters, also called organic filters, are molecules that absorb UV light. Silky Moisture uses five of them. Ethylhexyl triazone and polysilicone-15 cover UVB, terephthalylidene dicamphor sulfonic acid and diethylamino hydroxybenzoyl hexyl benzoate cover UVA, and bis-ethylhexyloxyphenol methoxyphenyl triazine covers both. These are filters you see widely in Korean and European sunscreens.
Zero Cast uses a different set: avobenzone for UVA, with homosalate, octisalate and octocrylene mainly covering UVB. That combination is the familiar backbone of many American sunscreens, which is one reason Zero Cast reads as the US-market option of the two.
Neither Anua sunscreen should leave the white cast mineral sunscreens are known for, because that white comes from zinc oxide and titanium dioxide particles, and neither uses them as a UV filter (Zero Cast's actives are avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate and octocrylene). Anua says Silky Moisture settles without a white film and that Zero Cast blends into all skin tones without a chalky cast. Zero Cast's name makes the same promise.
That makes both easier picks for deeper skin tones than an untinted mineral sunscreen. The brand descriptions are the evidence here, and they say the same thing in substance, so we wouldn't choose between them on cast. Choose on finish and filters instead.
Heartleaf Silky Moisture vs Zero Cast: which finish should you pick?
Pick Silky Moisture for a lighter, gel-like layer; pick Zero Cast for a dewier finish, a water-resistance claim or a US-format label.
The texture words Anua uses differ in a useful way. Silky Moisture is described as light, fluid and gel-like with a breathable finish, and its formula pairs humectants (glycerin, propanediol, panthenol) with a silicone powder. Zero Cast is described as dewy, comfortable and plump, which signals more visible glow on the skin.
Pick Heartleaf Silky Moisture if:
you have dry or combination skin and want moisture without a heavy layer
you value a PA++++ UVA grade and the newer Korean filter set
your day is mostly indoors or commuting, with a midday reapplication
Pick Zero Cast if:
you'll sweat, swim or spend long stretches outdoors and want a labeled water-resistance time
you like a dewy finish and want an oil-free formula
a non-comedogenic-tested claim matters to you, or you want the lower price, $14.99 against $16.99
Is Anua sunscreen good for oily skin?
Anua sunscreen can work on oily skin, but neither tube is a matte sunscreen. Zero Cast is the more natural fit of the two: Anua calls it oil-free and non-greasy and says it has been non-comedogenic tested, though the finish it describes is dewy.
Silky Moisture is aimed at dryness and moisture on our product page. Its light gel texture and silicone powder may keep it from feeling heavy, but its job is hydration, not shine control.
If shine by midday is your main complaint, a velvet or matte finish will serve you better than either. The SKIN1004 Poremizing Velvet Finish Sunscreen above is described by SKIN1004 as velvet-matte and pore-blurring, and our Korean sunscreen for oily skin guide lists more options.
How to apply and reapply Anua sunscreen
Apply Anua sunscreen as the last step of your morning routine, at least 15 minutes before you go outside, and reapply at least every two hours while you're in the sun. Here is how the two sets of directions line up:
Finish your skincare first. Silky Moisture's directions call it the final step of your routine, and Zero Cast's say to apply it after your morning skincare, so moisturizer goes on before either one.
Use enough. Silky Moisture's directions say about two to three finger lengths, spread evenly over face and neck. Zero Cast's say to apply liberally.
Wait. Silky Moisture's directions say at least 15 minutes before sun exposure, and Zero Cast's say 15 minutes before.
Reapply at least every two hours. For Silky Moisture, Anua adds "as needed," particularly after sweating, swimming or towel-drying. For Zero Cast, reapply after 80 minutes of swimming or sweating and immediately after towel drying.
Silky Moisture makes no water-resistance claim on our page, so reapply it as soon as you've been in the water or sweated heavily.
At night, a first cleanse with oil is a sensible way to lift a sunscreen designed to stay put, especially a water-resistant one. Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil, 200 ml ($15.99, checked October 2026) is the brand's own option; its directions call for two or three pumps on a dry face, with attention to areas where sunscreen tends to linger, before rinsing.
Anua describes Zero Cast as non-comedogenic tested; Silky Moisture's description on our page doesn't make that claim. A non-comedogenic test is a manufacturer claim, not a promise that nobody will break out, so introduce a new sunscreen on its own and give it a couple of weeks before judging.
Can you wear Anua sunscreen under makeup?
Yes. Anua says Zero Cast works smoothly under makeup without residue and preps skin for longer-lasting application. Silky Moisture's page doesn't mention makeup, but a light gel texture with silicones is a reasonable base; let either one set for a few minutes before foundation.
Is Anua sunscreen good for sensitive skin?
Anua positions both for sensitive skin. Silky Moisture's list includes no fragrance but does include ten plant extracts, heartleaf among them, which matters if botanicals have bothered you before. Zero Cast's full list isn't on our page, so check the tube. Try either on a small area first.
Is Anua sunscreen water resistant?
Zero Cast is labeled water resistant for 80 minutes. Silky Moisture makes no water-resistance claim on our page, so plan to reapply it after swimming or heavy sweating.
Which Anua sunscreen is better value?
Zero Cast, narrowly: $14.99 for 50 ml (about $0.30 per ml) against $16.99 for Silky Moisture (about $0.34 per ml), checked October 2026. Both tubes hold 50 ml, and both sets of directions ask for a generous layer (two to three finger lengths for Silky Moisture, "liberally" for Zero Cast) reapplied at least every two hours in the sun, so the $2 gap matters less than finish and filters.
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Anua Sunscreen Review: Silky Moisture vs Zero Cast | Sleepy Hello
