Option A
Relief Sun: Rice + Niacinamide SPF50+
Beauty of Joseon · £15
A dewy daily SPF in the UK and EU formula
Head to head · SPF
Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun vs Round Lab Birch Juice Sun Cream.
Two Korean SPF50+ PA++++ creams built on the same four UV filters. The differences are texture, supporting ingredients, botanicals and price.
Option B
Birch Juice Moisturizing Sun Cream SPF50+ PA++++
Round Lab · £21
Daily SPF with a moisturising cream texture
The verdict
Should I buy Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun or Round Lab Birch Juice Sun Cream?
Both list the same four UV filters and SPF50+ PA++++, so choose by texture and ingredients. Pick Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun for a dewy, fragrance-free cream at about £15. Pick Round Lab Birch Juice for a more moisturising cream on dry skin, at £21, accepting chamomile and pine-leaf botanicals.
Desk research, not a wear test. Prices are UK guide prices from official pages or named retailers when checked, and may have changed. How we compared.
Side by side
The specifications, compared.
Every row is drawn from the official product page or a named UK retailer listing. Brand wear and performance figures are the brands’ own.
| Specification | Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Rice + Niacinamide SPF50+ | Round Lab Birch Juice Moisturizing Sun Cream SPF50+ PA++++ |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Beauty of Joseon | Round Lab |
| Format | SPF50+ PA++++ cream sunscreen | Cream sunscreen |
| Finish | Dewy, lightweight cream | Moisturising, no white cast |
| Protection | SPF50+ PA++++ | SPF50+ PA++++ |
| UV filters | Uvinul A Plus, ethylhexyl triazone, Tinosorb M, diethylhexyl butamido triazone | Uvinul A Plus, ethylhexyl triazone, Tinosorb M, diethylhexyl butamido triazone |
| Key ingredients | Rice extract (30%, per the brand), rice germ, niacinamide, ferment extracts | Birch juice, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, allantoin, vitamins C and E |
| Texture | Creamy yet lightweight, dewy | Soft, moisturising cream |
| Fragrance | Fragrance-free and alcohol-free, per the brand | No added parfum; chamomile and pine-leaf botanicals listed |
| Size and UK price | 50ml, £15 (brand UK store); £15.50 RRP at retailers | 50ml, £21 RRP at Boots and LOOKFANTASTIC |
| Water resistance | None claimed | None claimed |
| Market note | Renamed from Rice + Probiotics; not sold in the US | Round Lab’s US store sells different US-market sunscreens |
| Guide price | £15 | £21 |
Checked 25 September 2026. Prices, shade ranges and formulas can change; the official page is the final word.
Which to choose
Choose by what you need.
Choose Relief Sun: Rice + Niacinamide SPF50+ if…
- You want a fragrance-free, alcohol-free formula
- You prefer a lighter, dewy cream
- You want the lower price
- Your skin is normal to combination
Choose Birch Juice Moisturizing Sun Cream SPF50+ PA++++ if…
- Your skin is dry and you want the sunscreen to double as moisturiser
- You like hyaluronic acid and allantoin in the formula
- You do not react to chamomile or pine botanicals
- The brand’s own UK stock of Relief Sun is sold out
What they have in common
- The same four UV filters, all permitted in the UK and EU (concentrations are not published)
- SPF50+ PA++++ on both labels
- Niacinamide in both formulas
- No water resistance claimed — reapply after swimming, sweating or towelling
How we compared
Desk research, stated plainly.
This comparison is desk research. We lined up the two products’ published formulas, ingredient lists, sizes, directions and UK prices from official pages or named UK retailers on 25 September 2026. Neither product was tested in a laboratory or worn by our editors for this page.
There is no overall score. Two well-made products can suit different skin, budgets and routines, so the verdict is framed as “choose this if”. Brand claims are reported as brand claims, and no brand paid to be compared.
Questions
Relief Sun vs Birch Juice Sun Cream, answered
Do Relief Sun and Round Lab Birch Juice use the same UV filters?
- Yes. UK listings for both name Uvinul A Plus, ethylhexyl triazone, Tinosorb M and diethylhexyl butamido triazone. The brands do not publish filter concentrations, so identical filter lists do not make the formulas identical.
Which is better for oily skin?
- Neither is a matte formula. Relief Sun’s lighter, dewy cream is the easier fit for combination skin; very oily skin may prefer a fluid such as COSRX Ultra-Light Invisible Sunscreen.
Is Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun still sold in the UK?
- Yes. Beauty of Joseon’s UK page now calls it Relief Sun: Rice + Niacinamide and says the formula is unchanged from Rice + Probiotics. It was withdrawn from the US market in early 2025.
Are either of them water resistant?
- Neither claims water resistance. Use a water-resistant sunscreen for swimming or sport and reapply after towelling.
Sources
Where the facts come from.
- Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Rice + Niacinamide SPF50+, official product page (opens in a new tab)
- Round Lab Birch Juice Moisturizing Sun Cream SPF50+ PA++++, official product page (opens in a new tab)
- Beauty of Joseon — authorised online retailers (opens in a new tab)
- LOOKFANTASTIC — Round Lab Birch Juice Sun Cream 50ml (opens in a new tab)
- NHS — Sunscreen and sun safety (opens in a new tab)
- Japan Cosmetic Industry Association — SPF and PA measurement standards (opens in a new tab)
All sources checked . Spotted an error? Email desk@thecastindex.com or read our corrections policy.
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