Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment was one of the sunscreens included in the Sephora Sun Safety Kit this year. It’s also something I never would have bought individually, so I was happy to get the chance to try it out. If you read my article on the best sunscreens in the Sephora Sun Safety Kit, you know that it was also one of only six sunscreens in this kit that could legitimately claim to protect against UVA1, UVA2, and UVB rays.

Background on Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment

Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment calls itself a “treatment” rather than a sunscreen, because of the tiger grass, which is supposed to help soothe red and inflamed/irritated skin. “Tiger grass,” or “centella asiatica,” is an herb that is used to help heal everything from wounds to eczema and psoriasis (see this study for more details). This physical sunscreen provides SPF 30 protection through a mixture of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. Note that the percentages of the active sunscreen ingredients are quite low (about 6 percent titanium dioxide and almost 3 percent zinc oxide), so if you prefer to buy a sunscreen with higher percentages of active ingredients, you may not want to buy this particular product.

Let’s take a closer look at the ingredients in Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Sunscreen.

Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Sunscreen Ingredients

Active ingredients: titanium dioxide (6.15%), zinc oxide (2.88%)

Inactive ingredients: water, centella asiatica leaf water, isononyl isononanoate, cyclopentasiloxane, butylene glycol, dimethicone, phenyl trimethicone, methyl methacrylate crosspolymer, beeswax/cire d’abeille, glycerin, diethylhexyl carbonate, polyglyceryl-3 polyricinoleate, niacinamide, polymethylsilsesquioxane, cyclohexasiloxane, panthenol, diglycerin, iron oxides, polyglyceryl-4 diisostearate/polyhydroxystearate/sebacate, dimethicone/vinyl dimethicone crosspolymer, isododecane, ethylene/methacrylate copolymer, cetearyl alcohol, polyglyceryl-2 triisostearate, aluminum hydroxide, stearic acid, disteardimonium hectorite, acrylates/ammonium methacrylate copolymer, sclerotium gum, sodium benzoate, acrylates/dimethicone copolymer, hydrogen dimethicone, chromium oxide greens, triethyl citrate, potassium sorbate, fragaria vesca (strawberry) leaf extract, disodium edta, bht, alcohol, asiaticoside, adenosine, triethoxycaprylylsilane, lavandula angustifolia (lavender) oil, boron nitride, asiatic acid, madecassic acid, citrus grandis (grapefruit) peel oil, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf oil, 1,2- hexanediol, anthemis nobilis flower oil, houttuynia cordata extract, propanediol, centella asiatica extract, gentiana lutea root extract, artemisia absinthium extract, achillea millefolium extract, arnica montana flower extract, polysorbate 20, aniba rosodora (rosewood) wood oil, sodium glycerophosphate, selaginella lepidophylla extract, potassium magnesium aspartate, citric acid, calcium gluconate, madecassoside, magnesium gluconate, centella asiatica meristem cell culture, xanthan gum, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide

This product includes four ingredients associated with tiger grass: centella asiatica leaf water (the second ingredient!), asiatic acid, madecassoside, and madecassic acid. It also includes niacinamide.

Interestingly, it also contains alcohol, which may dry out the skin (though perhaps the drying effects are offset by other ingreidents that help hydrate).

Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Sunscreen Review

Texture/viscosity: Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Sunscreen has a thick, creamy consistency, similar to a zinc-heavy sunscreen (though this particular formula only contains less than 3 percent zinc oxide, it seems like more because of how thick it is). The texture is so thick that it is difficult to blend in at first. It does eventually blend into the skin, but if you try to apply too much, you may see a white cast on your face and think, “What is this product doing on my face?” It is a bit tacky, so it tends to highlight any dry patchiness that may be on your face, so you should make sure to moisturize as thoroughly as you can before applying it. I moisturize with Frudia Citrus Brightening Cream and that seems to help hide any dry patches that might otherwise be highlighted with this product.

Color: It has a greenish tint that helps offset any redness on your skin. This week I’ve been using it in place of my current sunscreen (Australian Gold Tinted Face Sunscreen), and it has the same effect as a tinted sunscreen even though it doesn’t add any noticeable warm tint. Instead, it lightens my skin bit more than Australian Gold does, since Australian Gold has more of a goldish/orangey tint. Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Sunscreen is a bit light for my yellowish-gold Asian skintone, so it may not be suitable for those with warmer-toned and/or darker skin. That said, it does help balance out the redness on my cheeks.

Fragrance: The smell reminds me of bag balm or tiger balm. It definitely has a light herby, medicinal odor. I find it somewhat comforting, and not overbearing, especially because it fades within a few minutes.

Would I buy it again? This product is pricey. If you have problems with redness, it may help balance out redness and inflammation—like a CC cream with SPF. However, if you have dry skin, you will probably want to look elsewhere, since this product will definitely highlight any dry patches you may have on your face if you’re not careful to moisturize beforehand. If you have dryness on your face, and you’re looking for a physical sunscreen, I’d recommend Australian Gold Tinted Facial Sunscreen instead.

Further reading

• The best sunscreens in the Sephora Sun Safety Kit
• More K-Beauty reviews
• More sunscreen product reviews
• What’s the difference between physical sunscreen and chemical sunscreen?
• Frudia Citrus Brightening Cream review
• Australian Gold Tinted Face Sunscreen