As we all know, the sunscreen market is incredibly oversaturated, but what about the K beauty sunscreen market? Cassandra has always said that Asian sunscreens are better than American ones. They’re less expensive, more cosmetically elegant, and they’re even water resistant!
On the other hand, many sunscreens from the US are pasty, white cast formulas. Fortunately, we've listed some of the best affordable K beauty sunscreens. This list includes both physical and chemical K beauty sunscreens!
Best lightweight gel texture: Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Moist Sun Serum
This contains the soothing antioxidant ginseng. This has an amazing, absorbable texture, and it’s almost like a refreshing Vaseline that seals the skin and makes it feel moist.
This one is even lighter than the Haru Haru Wonder Black Rice Moisture Airyfit sunscreen, which we’ll talk about next. The rice sunscreen comes out white, but you have to rub it in whereas the Beauty of Joseon ginseng one comes out as a translucent cream. It almost has a tinge of yellow because of the antioxidants, but the color actually allows it to blend in even better.
With barely a touch, this blends in perfectly. And if you’re someone who dislikes the feel of sunscreen, this is an amazing choice. Also, it’s PA+++, meaning it protects the skin from the UVA and UVB rays.
Haru Haru Wonder Black Rice Moisture Airyfit sunscreen
This is more cushiony and fluffy, but it holds up well in all weather conditions. For instance, if you’re exposed to extremely humid weather, this will pull through. As for the texture, the Airyfit Sunscreen feels like whipped cream, and despite its white color, it blends in seamlessly beneath makeup. It even has a non-greasy and velvety finish.
If you prefer to use physical sunscreen though, HaruHaru also has a completely mineral SPF. But, if your skin is very sensitive, you might want to use this one.
All in all, this is a very versatile product. Haru haru literally means “day by day” in Korean. So, the product itself is very convenient for creating healthy skin habits on a daily basis.
Rovectin Aqua Soothing UV Protector
This is a Korean mineral sunscreen from Korea, but it does not leave a white cast, and it’s very non-irritating. For instance, Cassandra knew someone whose eyes would always get irritated from sunscreen. But, this one did not irritate her eyes at all. It’s an incredibly gentle and hypoallergenic formula. And even though it takes a while to rub in, it’s been proven time and time again to work well for all skin, especially sensitive skin.
Even though Rovectin doesn’t describe this product as “sheer,” Cassandra can get this to rub in clearly. Plus, it’s probably the most gentle Korean sunscreen she’s ever used, giving it a top spot on the best sunscreens list.
This is a pycnogenol sunscreen. And unsurprisingly, K Beauty is actually the OG of pycnogenol skincare. Pycnogenol is a super potent antioxidant that boosts sunscreen formulas.
This K Secret Sunscreen is a lightweight formula perfect for everyday use. If you have super oily skin though, you might want to apply a pycnogenol serum underneath a watery sunscreen.
Skin 1004 Hyalu-cica Water-fit Sun Serum
This is one of the best sunscreens that we’ve ever tried, and it’s even on Cassandra’s favorites list because of how lightweight and beautiful the texture is.
Isntree Onion Newpair Sunscreen
This is one of our favorites for oily, acne-prone skin. However, its satiny finish may not work for every skin type.
This works very well with the Newpair sunscreen too.
Gentle disclaimer – this does have fragrance. But, the centella asiatica offers a soothing hydration that works beautifully. The formula is white, silky, and smooth, and it's a wonderful choice for dry skin. So, Cassandra doesn’t really use this when her skin gets super oily.
But overall, Mixsoon is an amazing skincare line, and it’s a great, go-to brand for fermented and soybean skincare.
Round A’Round Comfort Green Tea Calming Sunscreen
Coming through as a best-seller, this could double as a less expensive and more gentle Neutrogena dupe. It’s less expensive, cruelty-free, and it's basically the K Beauty version of Neutrogena. This is actually one of Cassandra's favorites.
If you like the rice sunscreen from Beauty of Joseon, you’ll probably like this one even better. It absorbs so beautifully into the skin, and because it’s a chemical/organic sunscreen, it works on all skin tones. So, it doesn’t leave any white cast. If you pat the formula onto the skin, it will give you a dewy soft finish. But, if you rub it into the skin, it gives you more of a glowy or glassy finish.
This is a versatile SPF 50 PA++++, and the birch ingredient works similarly to pycnogenol. This is a top-seller too. Cassandra just wishes it was waterproof.
As a bonus, Cassandra uses this to make sure she’s applying her sunscreen evenly. This is a UV mirror that shades in where your sunscreen has been applied.
Coverphoto cred: Truly Beauty