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Best of · SPF · 4 picks

The best Korean sunscreens to buy in the UK.

Four international-formula SPF50 PA++++ sunscreens sold through UK retailers, compared by filters, texture, fragrance and price — plus what the PA rating does and does not tell you.

By Kaiser Khan, Founder & Editor Updated Editorial policy

Quick answer

What is the best Korean sunscreen to buy in the UK?

Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Rice + Niacinamide is the best all-rounder: a dewy SPF50+ PA++++ cream with modern UK/EU filters for about £15. Choose SKIN1004’s Water-Fit Sun Serum for a serum texture, Round Lab Birch Juice for more moisture, or COSRX Ultra-Light for a sheer fluid. None claims water resistance.

Selection is editorial and never paid for. Prices are UK guide prices from official pages or named retailers when checked, and may have changed. How we chose.

Our top picks

The shortlist, by what each does best.

  1. Best overall Relief Sun: Rice + Niacinamide SPF50+ Beauty of Joseon · SPF50+ PA++++ · rice + niacinamide · 50ml
  2. Best serum texture Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum SKIN1004 · SPF50+ PA++++ · serum texture · centella
  3. Best for dry skin Birch Juice Moisturizing Sun Cream SPF50+ PA++++ Round Lab · SPF50+ PA++++ · moisturising cream · birch juice
  4. Best for oily skin Ultra-Light Invisible Sunscreen SPF50 PA++++ COSRX · SPF50 PA++++ · 66% aloe water · sheer fluid

Side by side

How the picks compare.

Specifications are summarised from each official product page. Read across a row to see where a product fits; the detailed notes below explain the trade-offs.

Best Korean sunscreens (UK): how the picks compare
ProductAwardFinishKey specGuide price
Relief Sun: Rice + Niacinamide SPF50+Beauty of Joseon · SPF50+ PA++++ cream sunscreen Best overall Dewy, lightweight cream SPF50+ PA++++ · rice + niacinamide · 50ml £15
Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun SerumSKIN1004 · SPF50+ PA++++ serum sunscreen Best serum texture Dewy, no white cast SPF50+ PA++++ · serum texture · centella £18
Birch Juice Moisturizing Sun Cream SPF50+ PA++++Round Lab · Cream sunscreen Best for dry skin Moisturising, no white cast SPF50+ PA++++ · moisturising cream · birch juice £21
Ultra-Light Invisible Sunscreen SPF50 PA++++COSRX · Fluid sunscreen Best for oily skin Sheer, non-greasy SPF50 PA++++ · 66% aloe water · sheer fluid See official page

Specifications from official brand pages; prices are UK guide prices from the brand’s official page or a named UK retailer, checked 25 September 2026. Prices and formulas can change.

The picks in detail

Why each one earns its place.

Strengths and limitations are drawn from specifications — texture, finish, shade range, filters, fragrance, price and availability — not from wear testing.

Best overall

Relief Sun: Rice + Niacinamide SPF50+

Beauty of Joseon

Relief Sun pairs four modern UV filters permitted in the UK and EU with rice extract — 30% of the formula, according to the brand — and niacinamide, in a creamy but light texture that dries down dewy. At around £15 for 50ml, it matches the highest labelled protection in this guide at the lowest verified price, and the brand states it is fragrance-free and alcohol-free.

Format
SPF50+ PA++++ cream sunscreen
Finish
Dewy, lightweight cream
Key spec
SPF50+ PA++++ · rice + niacinamide · 50ml

What stands out

  • SPF50+ PA++++ with Uvinul A Plus, ethylhexyl triazone, Tinosorb M and diethylhexyl butamido triazone
  • Fragrance-free and alcohol-free, per the brand
  • £15 on the brand’s UK store; £15.50 RRP at UK retailers
  • The brand says the renamed formula is unchanged from Rice + Probiotics

Consider first

  • The brand’s own UK store was sold out when checked on 25 September 2026
  • A dewy finish may need setting on very oily skin
  • No water resistance claimed
  • Easily confused with the US-only Daily Relief SPF 40, a different formula
Read the full product guide Beauty of Joseon official page (opens in a new tab) Guide price: £15

Best serum texture

Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum

SKIN1004

SKIN1004’s sun serum uses the same four-filter family as Relief Sun in a thinner, serum-like texture with centella asiatica and hyaluronic acid. It is the pick when a cream sunscreen feels heavy under foundation.

Format
SPF50+ PA++++ serum sunscreen
Finish
Dewy, no white cast
Key spec
SPF50+ PA++++ · serum texture · centella

What stands out

  • Serum texture with a dewy finish and no white cast, per retailer listings
  • SPF50+ PA++++ with modern UK/EU filters
  • No parfum listed
  • Stocked by several UK retailers at £16–£19

Consider first

  • No UK brand shop — the global store prices in US dollars and adds import charges
  • The US “Sun Serum UV” is a different formula, so check the name
  • No water resistance claimed
Read the full product guide SKIN1004 official page (opens in a new tab) Guide price: £18

Best for dry skin

Birch Juice Moisturizing Sun Cream SPF50+ PA++++

Round Lab

Round Lab positions its sun cream as a moisturiser as much as a sunscreen, with birch juice, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and allantoin around the same four modern filters. On normal to dry skin it can double as the last moisturising step of the morning.

Format
Cream sunscreen
Finish
Moisturising, no white cast
Key spec
SPF50+ PA++++ · moisturising cream · birch juice

What stands out

  • Moisturising cream texture with hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and allantoin
  • SPF50+ PA++++ with modern UK/EU filters
  • No added parfum
  • £21 RRP at Boots and LOOKFANTASTIC

Consider first

  • Chamomile and pine-leaf botanicals are listed, so it is not strictly fragrance-free
  • The highest verified price in this guide
  • UK retailers’ ingredient panels differ slightly; check your pack
Read the full product guide Round Lab official page (opens in a new tab) Guide price: £21

Best for oily skin

Ultra-Light Invisible Sunscreen SPF50 PA++++

COSRX

COSRX builds a sheer, fast-absorbing fluid on 66% aloe leaf water, with Mexoryl XL and Mexoryl SX among its filters. It suits oily and combination skin that wants protection to disappear under a skin tint.

Format
Fluid sunscreen
Finish
Sheer, non-greasy
Key spec
SPF50 PA++++ · 66% aloe water · sheer fluid

What stands out

  • Sheer, non-greasy fluid texture, per the brand
  • No artificial fragrance and no ethanol
  • Niacinamide and hyaluronic acid in the base
  • UK/EU-permitted filters including Mexoryl XL and SX

Consider first

  • UK retailer stock was limited when checked, so no guide price is recorded
  • Contains witch hazel water, which some sensitive skins avoid
  • Labelled SPF50 rather than SPF50+
  • No water resistance claimed
Read the full product guide COSRX official page (opens in a new tab) Guide price: See official page

What to look for

Read the label before the award.

SPF and PA are different scales

SPF measures protection against UVB, the rays that cause burning. PA is the Japanese and Korean grade for UVA protection, from PA+ to PA++++; PA++++ means a UVA protection factor of 16 or more under ISO 24442. UK sunscreens usually show a UVA star rating or circle logo instead.

The formula, not just the brand

Korean brands often sell different formulas in the US, where fewer UV filters are approved. Buy the international SPF50+ PA++++ version from an authorised UK retailer and check the filter list on the pack.

Modern filters

Filters such as Uvinul A Plus, Tinosorb M and ethylhexyl triazone are permitted in the UK and EU but not in US sunscreens. They explain why the same Korean product name can hide two different formulas.

Water resistance

None of the four picks claims water resistance. For swimming or sport, choose a sunscreen labelled water resistant and reapply after towelling.

Enough, and often

The NHS recommends at least SPF 30 with high UVA protection, reapplied every two hours and straight after swimming. A thin layer gives less protection than the label states.

Under makeup

Apply sunscreen as the last skincare step and let it settle before foundation. Serum and fluid textures are the lighter option under a full base; dewy creams may need setting on oily skin.

How we chose

Desk research, stated plainly.

This guide is desk research. We compared international-formula Korean sunscreens sold through UK retailers using the brands’ published formulas, ingredient lists, specifications and directions, together with UK prices from official pages or named retailers on 25 September 2026. None of the products was tested in a laboratory or worn by our editors for this guide.

We included only SPF50 or SPF50+ products rated PA++++ with a published filter list, sold in their international formula by authorised UK retailers. US-only formulas, such as Beauty of Joseon Daily Relief Sunscreen SPF 40, were left out because their filters and labelling differ.

Awards describe fit — the job a product is best suited to — rather than a single overall score. Brand claims are reported as brand claims. No brand paid for inclusion, and shopping links elsewhere on the site do not influence which products appear here.

Questions

Best Korean sunscreens (UK), answered

Why are Korean sunscreens different in the UK and the US?

The US approves fewer UV filters for sunscreens. Brands such as SKIN1004 and Beauty of Joseon sell separate US formulas with US-approved filters, while the international SPF50+ PA++++ versions sold in the UK use filters such as Uvinul A Plus and Tinosorb M.

What does PA++++ mean on a sunscreen?

PA is the Japanese and Korean grading of UVA protection. PA++++, the top grade, means a UVA protection factor of 16 or more measured under ISO 24442. It is a different scale from the UK’s UVA star rating.

Has Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun been discontinued in the UK?

No. It was withdrawn from the US in early 2025 but remains on sale in the UK and EU. Beauty of Joseon’s UK page now calls it Relief Sun: Rice + Niacinamide and says the formula is unchanged from Rice + Probiotics.

Are Korean sunscreens water resistant?

None of the four in this guide claims water resistance. Choose a sunscreen labelled water resistant for swimming or sport, and reapply after towelling.

How often should I reapply sunscreen?

The NHS advises reapplying every two hours and straight after being in water, because the sun can dry sunscreen off the skin. The British Association of Dermatologists also recommends applying 15 to 30 minutes before going out.

Sources

Where the facts come from.

  1. NHS — Sunscreen and sun safety (opens in a new tab)
  2. British Association of Dermatologists — The sunscreen fact sheet (opens in a new tab)
  3. Cancer Research UK — Sun safety and sunscreen labels (opens in a new tab)
  4. Japan Cosmetic Industry Association — SPF and PA measurement standards (opens in a new tab)
  5. Beauty of Joseon — authorised online retailers (opens in a new tab)
  6. LOOKFANTASTIC — SKIN1004 Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum 50ml (opens in a new tab)
  7. LOOKFANTASTIC — Round Lab Birch Juice Sun Cream 50ml (opens in a new tab)
  8. LOOKFANTASTIC — COSRX Ultra-Light Invisible Sunscreen 50ml (opens in a new tab)
  9. Beauty of Joseon — Relief Sun: Rice + Niacinamide SPF50+, official product page (opens in a new tab)
  10. SKIN1004 — Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum, official product page (opens in a new tab)
  11. Round Lab — Birch Juice Moisturizing Sun Cream SPF50+ PA++++, official product page (opens in a new tab)
  12. COSRX — Ultra-Light Invisible Sunscreen SPF50 PA++++, official product page (opens in a new tab)

All sources checked . Spotted an error? Email desk@thecastindex.com or read our corrections policy.

Head to head

Deciding between two?

Side-by-side comparisons of products in this guide, with a specification table and a “choose this if” verdict.

Beauty of Joseon vs Round Lab Relief Sun vs Birch Juice Sun Cream

All comparisons ↗

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