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If you’re into skincare and you’ve been anywhere near TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest (make that any social media platform lately), you will have no doubt come across Beauty of Joseon’s Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics. This sunscreen has been going absolutely viral over the internet for the last couple of months and for good reason, it’s an incredible product!
Well, Beauty of Joseon definitely weren’t going to leave it at just one great sunscreen… this year alone they’ve brought out two more! The Matte Sun Stick and the Ginseng Moist Sun Serum are the newest products in the BOJ sunscreen lineup, and while they haven’t garnered the same amount of attention as Relief Sun just yet, I think it’s only a matter of time. Sun protection aside, these are extremely different products so I thought I would break them down a bit in this post.
If you’re interested in finding out more about each of these Beauty of Joseon sunscreens and want to know which one is best for you, keep reading!
About Beauty of Joseon and their sunscreen collection
Launched in 2017, Beauty of Joseon is a South Korean beauty brand that combines traditional Korean ‘hanbang’ ingredients with innovative skincare tech to create effective and affordable products.
Their first sunscreen, Relief Sun, came out at the end of 2021, following the Korean sunscreen scandal.
The Matte Sun Stick was released in January 2023 in collaboration with beauty influencer and cosmetic chemist Ramón Pagán, better known as Glow by Ramón.
The Ginseng Moist Sun Serum is the newest of the three sunscreens having launched in May 2023.
Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics SPF50+ PA++++
Best for: Normal to combination skin, sensitive skin
Just like an everyday moisturiser, Relief Sun (full review here) has a light, lotion-like texture that sits really comfortably on the skin. It’s dewy when first applied, but quickly dries down to soft, velvety finish which makes it super easy to apply makeup over the top.
With four UV filters, this gives ample protection from the sun. If you’re looking for skin benefits, this offers plenty of those too! Ingredients like rice bran water, niacinamide and green tea help reduce irritation and calm the skin, while priobiotics such as pumpkin and soybean ferment extract improve skin tone and protect the moisture barrier.
This isn’t scented, doesn’t contain any essential oils and doesn’t cause eye-stinging so it’s a good fit for sensitive skin. I also think normal, combination and oily skin types would appreciate how light this is – it’s not heavy or greasy at all.
If you have dry skin though, you may need something a little more moisturising. The formula isn’t drying per se, but I do get more hydration from the moist serum (see below).
Beauty of Joseon Matte Sun Stick: Mugwort + Camelia SPF 50+ PA ++++
Best for: Combination to oily skin
If you’re looking for a matte finish that doesn’t totally dry out your skin, this sun stick should be your top pick. A combination of silica powder and silicones (in both fluid and powder form) helps the sunscreen control excess sebum and gives it that smooth, silky feeling on the skin. You’ll also find cica, green tea and mugwort in here, ingredients which are known to reduce redness, provide moisture and calm irritation.
A key thing to point out about this sun stick is that it doesn’t contain niacinamide. Before anyone panics, I should clarify that niacinamide isn’t irritating for the majority of people, but some do find that their skin is particularly sensitive to it!
Packaging-wise, the stick format of this sunscreen makes it super convenient. It’s perfect for chucking in your bag and reapplying on the go – your fingers don’t even have to touch your face! This works best if you’re not wearing makeup though, as you have to swipe pretty firmly for the product to transfer. If you have oily or combination skin that gets shiny throughout the day, give this one a try!
Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Moist Sun Serum SPF 50+ PA ++++
Best for: Normal to dry skin
Last but certainly not least, we have the newest addition to the Beauty of Joseon sunscreen family – the Ginseng Moist Sun Serum. What’s really cool about this sunscreen is that the active ingredients are encapsulated (you’ll sort of be able to see this when you pump out the product). This essentially means that the actives are distributed slowly and more evenly.
Ginseng is the star ingredient here, and you can definitely smell it when you apply the serum, so if you’re not a fan of the scent, this may not be for you. This sunscreen also contains 2% niacinamide which has anti-inflammatory and brightening properties, as well as olive oil to moisturise the skin.
I love that this has a true serum texture – it doesn’t feel like a traditional sunscreen at all! It’s lightweight, dewy and feels super refreshing when applied. Because of this, I think it would suit normal to dry skin types best. If you want a sunscreen that moisturises, has no white cast and sits beautifully under makeup, this is it!
So, which Beauty of Joseon sunscreen should I choose?
Finding the Beauty of Joseon sunscreen that is right for you will very much depend on your skin type. The BOJ Matte Sun Stick is targeted at those who have combination / oily skin, Relief Sun works for those with sensitive skin, and the Ginseng Moist Sun Serum is great for skin that needs extra moisture.
The Beauty of Joseon website actually says that the Sun Serum is ideal for oily to combination skin but I actually find it to be much more hydrating than the Relief Sun (which they recommend for dry skin)!
If you have combination skin, you can pretty much get away with using any of these sunscreens, it just depends on the finish you want and the type of texture you prefer. Relief Sun has a lotion-like consistency which makes it feel like a light moisturiser. The Matte Sun Stick has a silky feel on the skin, almost like a silicone primer. And the Sun Serum has a thickish gel consistency that dries down to a dewy, but not sticky, finish.
Have you tried any of the Beauty of Joseon sunscreens yet? Which one is your favourite? Let me know in the comments!
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