ALLIE Gel UV EX vs Flat Smooth Filter UV: Which to Choose?

For one fragrance-free ALLIE sunscreen for your face and body, start with Chrono Beauty Gel UV EX 90 g. For a face primer that helps pores and uneven texture look smoother, consider Chrono Beauty Flat Smooth Filter UV 30 g. The second option has a cream-yellow colour and sweet-orange-and-jasmine scent, and its directions call for makeup cleanser at night.

I’m Irene, a Taiwan-born, Japan-licensed pharmacist working in a Japanese drugstore. These tubes carry the same SPF50+ and PA++++ ratings. I’d start with where you want to use them, the finish you want and how you plan to wash them off.

Product information checked: 19 October 2026. This guide covers the two specified Japanese-market products; formulas and directions in other markets may differ.

Start with your routine: face and body, or a face primer?

Gel UV EX 90 g: a fragrance-free face-and-body option

Japanese package name: アリィー クロノビューティ ジェルUV EX. Kao describes this as an easy-spreading, moisturising gel with a non-sticky feel and a naturally dewy finish. It can also be used under makeup. The label says fragrance-free and no added colour, making it the more straightforward starting point if you do not want a colour-correcting sunscreen. No added colour does not mean the dispensed gel must look transparent, or guarantee that it will leave no visible cast on every skin tone.

If you want the same product for your face, neck and body on a trip, this is the relevant option of the two. Used alone, it can be washed off carefully with your usual facial cleanser or body wash. If you apply foundation or other makeup over it, use your usual makeup cleanser.

Flat Smooth Filter UV 30 g: a face primer for a smoother-looking finish

Japanese package name: アリィー クロノビューティ フラットスムースフィルターUV. This face sunscreen and makeup primer is cream yellow with a sweet-orange-and-jasmine fragrance. Kao describes its film as helping disguise the appearance of pores, uneven texture left by acne, and uneven skin colour.

That is a cosmetic makeup effect, rather than a treatment for acne, scars or enlarged pores. If combining sunscreen with a texture-smoothing primer is your aim, this is the more relevant option. For body sunscreen, start with Gel UV EX. Flat’s directions specify your usual makeup cleanser; they do not offer a facial-cleanser-only exception when you skip foundation.

Texture, wear and appearance descriptions here come from the manufacturer, rather than my own testing. The result can vary with your skin, the amount applied and the skincare or makeup used alongside it.

Same SPF and PA: what else matters?

• Both list SPF50+, PA++++ and Japanese UV water-resistance rating ★★. Matching ratings do not make their texture, scent, removal method or irritation risk identical, and cannot establish which is safer for every person.
• Both ingredient lists include ethanol. Fragrance-free Gel UV EX is not alcohol-free. If you need to avoid a particular ingredient, check the complete list for that exact product and your own package.
• Gel UV EX also works as a makeup base. Flat’s distinguishing features are its cream-yellow colour and texture-disguising cosmetic finish; it is not the only one you can wear under foundation.
• Flat is non-comedogenic tested, but the manufacturer says this does not guarantee that nobody will develop comedones. Its cosmetic coverage should not be treated as care for inflamed or otherwise abnormal skin.

Kao explains that SPF and PA ratings are measured using a standard application of 2 mg per square centimetre and serve as a product-selection guide. The two-star water-resistance rating does not remove the need to reapply, especially after wiping away sweat.

How much? Both give an approximately 1.2 cm whole-face guide

Each of these exact Japanese product labels gives an amount about 1.2 cm in diameter as a guide for the whole face. This describes the dispensed amount, not a fixed weight in grams or one portion to share between your face, neck and entire body. Do not reduce it to a few tiny dots just to make a tinted finish look lighter.

1. Gel UV EX: after your usual skincare, apply carefully and evenly to the face and neck. For the body, dispense enough directly onto the skin in lines, then spread evenly with circular movements of your palm.
2. Flat Smooth Filter UV: after skincare, work through an adequate total amount in small portions, spreading carefully from the centre of the face outward.
3. Reapply both: using too little will not provide sufficient UV protection. To maintain the effect, reapply frequently, especially after wiping away sweat.
4. Let it dry before dressing: avoid direct contact with clothing and jewellery, and close the cap firmly after use.

My practical tip: choose a texture and colour you can comfortably apply in the recommended amount. If Flat’s cream-yellow finish does not suit you, reducing your sunscreen amount is not a good way to make the colour work.

At night, follow the removal instructions for your tube

• Gel UV EX alone: wash off carefully with your usual facial cleanser or body wash.
• Gel UV EX with foundation or other makeup: use your usual makeup cleanser.
• Flat Smooth Filter UV: use your usual makeup cleanser, including on days when you have not added foundation.

Thinking about your evening cleanser before you pack makes this choice easier.

Skin reactions, clothing and storage

• Do not apply to cuts, swelling, eczema or other abnormal areas. Pay attention to any changes in your skin during use.
• If the product does not suit your skin, or redness, swelling, itching, irritation, loss of colour such as white patches, or darkening occurs, stop using it and consult a dermatologist. Do the same if sunlight exposure after use brings on these changes. Continuing use may worsen symptoms.
• Avoid contact with the eyes. If it gets into your eyes, rinse thoroughly straight away.
• Avoid getting it on clothing. If it stains fabric, promptly and carefully spot-wash with detergent. Flat additionally warns against chlorine bleach, because the affected area may turn pink or another colour.
• Store carefully to prevent accidental ingestion by children, people with dementia and others at risk. Keep away from extremely high or low temperatures and direct sunlight.

Before paying, match the full name and size

Face-and-body gel: アリィー クロノビューティ ジェルUV EX / 90 g / JAN barcode 4973167057742. The regulatory product name on this Japanese version ends in 「ジェルＵＶ ＥＸp」.

Face primer: アリィー クロノビューティ フラットスムースフィルターUV / 30 g / JAN barcode 4973167040973.

You can show these names to staff in Japan. This comparison does not extend the directions to mini packs, other ALLIE primers or overseas versions. Availability, prices and packaging can change; check the latest instructions on the product you buy, including when repurchasing.

Official Japanese sources and complete ingredients

• Kao: Gel UV EX 90 g ingredients, directions and precautions
• Kao: Flat Smooth Filter UV 30 g ingredients, directions and precautions