Finding the Best Korean Sunscreen: Tips & Tricks

Let’s talk sunscreens made in Korea!

With all the buzz around K-beauty products and the increase in interest in sheer sunscreens for everyday use, it’s no surprise that Korean sunscreens have found many new fans. 

We gathered up the top made in Korea sunscreens for our tests, looking for the best options for a shine-free finish (especially for the face). We tested out sunscreens for everyday use and then asked two dermatologists to weigh in on the ingredients. 

Here are some key takeaways from our testing:

• Korean sunscreens are (thankfully) not that expensive. Yes, in the era of Supergoop and other super-pricey sunscreens, it’s nice to find options from Korea that don’t cost a fortune.

• Many K-sunscreens contain fragrance. We know this is a touchy subject among our readers—some don’t mind it, but others won’t consider a sunscreen with any fragrance, since it can irritate the skin. Some sunscreens that performed well in our tests didn’t make the final cut because of a strong fragrance.

• Sticks are great for touch-ups and tattoos. We tested out several Korean sunscreens in stick form and found one we could recommend.

Here are the winners from our tests and research.

About the Authors

Denise & Alan Fields are consumer advocates and best-selling authors. The Fields have authored 12 books with three million copies in print, including the best-selling guide to baby gear, Baby Bargains.

The Fields have been featured and quoted in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times.

As consumer products experts, the Fields have been guests on the NBC Today Show, Good Morning America and ABC’s 20/20.

How We Pick Products To Recommend

We often turn to our readers (3 million strong!) to find products to recommend. We ask our parent readers for their favorites and consider their real-world experiences in our recommendations.

When we test a product, we always purchase it with our own monies. We do not take free samples, as we believe that compromises our independence.

We also fact check manufacturer information with our own measurements. If a maker claims a product weighs X pounds, we will weigh it to make sure. If the battery life is supposed to be six hours, we will see how it stands up in the real world.

In some cases, we will do interviews with experts in the field to get additional feedback on products.

To get hands-on time with products, we regularly meet one-on-one with gear companies and even tour manufacturing facilities. (When we do this, we pay our own travel expenses).

Why Trust Us

We’ve been rating and reviewing products for the home and families since 1994. We do extensive research, evaluating products with an eye toward quality, ease of use and affordability.

We make our living from affiliate commissions, but we always recommend what we think are the best bets for our readers (not the ones that are the most expensive). We are always looking for products that offer the best bang for the buck.

Our independence is a key reason why we have been doing this so long. As we mentioned above, when we purchase a product for hands-on testing, we do so with our own money.

Here’s another key point: we don’t take money from the brands we review. No free samples, no sponsors, no “partnerships.” Our work is 100% reader-supported!