People Are Claiming That Korean Sunscreens Are Better: But Are They Right?
Main image – Katarinaradovic/Stocksy
Jordan Samuel Pacitti is an aesthetician, skincare founder and regular Live That Glow columnist. He is a go-to source of beauty advice for skincare fans across the world. Here, he advises a reader on the buzz around Korean sunscreens.
I keep seeing that Korean sunscreens have a better formula than other SPFs. What do people mean when they say that and is it true?
Jordan says:
When people speak about Korean formulas being better, it’s important to note that they are not referring to the product’s efficacy in providing sun protection.
Rather, they are almost always talking about how the actual sunscreen filters – the ingredients that are responsible for absorbing/deflecting the sun’s rays – are able to exist in the base of the product, which can affect the product’s texture and how it interacts with our skin.
For the most part, the base of SPFs around the world are fairly similar depending on their medium, whether they be lotion, cream, gel, spray, mousse, etc. However, the filter(s) used can alter the feel, texture and finish of the base once dispersed in the product.
Countries like Korea, Japan, Australia, the UK and the EU all have far more advanced filters than the US, which in my opinion, allow most sunscreens (not all) from those countries to have a more elegant texture, more luxurious feel and wear better on the skin.
While my favorite sunscreens tend to be European formulations, I think that the superior reputation of Korean sunscreens is due to the fact that they initially drove a lot of the innovations that we are seeing in the market.
Now this isn’t to say other areas of the world don’t have great sunscreen options. There are certainly amazing formulas throughout the world; however, regional regulations can limit manufacturers to the use of filters with less desirable qualities, which can include leaving a white cast on the skin, feeling sticky, increasing redness in certain skin tones, making eyes water, and making skin feel extremely itchy and irritated.
Whatever you do just make sure you find an SPF you enjoy using, that is in your budget and accessible to you! At the end of the day, the best sunscreen is the one you will wear!
Jordan Samuel Pacitti
Founder & CEO, Jordan Samuel Skin
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