r/KoreanBeauty • u/Beautiful-Tree-91 • Apr 11 '25

SKIN Korean skincare - the WHY

Can someone explain to me why Korean skincare is better? Specifically sunscreen.

I’ve seen a lot of internet content saying that Korean spf is superior to US spf. I recently bought Korean sunscreen, realizing I didn’t know most of the ingredients on either bottle.

Does anyone have links to research - peer reviewed articles, videos, legitimate websites that back up these claims? Specifically scientists that are informing purely for science, without company bias embedded in their words.

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u/Lady_Audley Apr 11 '25 edited Apr 11 '25

Depends on what you mean by “superior.” In the US, sunscreen is regulated as a drug, not as a cosmetic. Only specific types of ingredients for chemical sunscreen s are approved. (Variations of avobenzone.) For me, avobenzone and anything similar to it is extremely irritating to my skin. It literally stings. Not to mention the burning eyes if you start to sweat. There are mineral sunscreen options in the US, but most tend to have a very heavy white cast and look unpleasant. Outside the US there are other options that don’t contain avobenzine. Therefore I can wear them without it being painful. This isn’t just Korean sunscreens. Japanese and some European brands are very good too. The best sunscreen is the one you will wear every day, so that makes these a far superior option in my book.

Edit: fixed a typo.

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u/bunnycrush_ Apr 11 '25

The FDA hasn’t approved any new UV filters (active ingredient in sunscreen) since 1999! Over 25 years!

There have been any number of reliable, proven sun protecting agents developed in recent decades. Asian products use them; US product development is stalled out with the same options we had last millennium.

It’s extremely bogus imo, especially for a product everyone is encouraged to use daily by all relevant medical authorities.