Best K-beauty sunscreens reviewed: ‘I tried five Korean face SPFs on holiday and this £15 one came out on top’

K-beauty is having a real moment, and it’s now easy to buy here in the UK. I tried out five lightweight Korean face SPFs, available on the high street – here’s how they performed

As a beauty editor, even when I’m on holiday I’m never completely off-duty, as I’m always bringing new products with me to test while I’m away. And a recent trip to Spain proved to be no exception, as I used the hot weather to test out five new K-beauty face SPFs that had caught my eye recently – and they’re all under £16 and easily available to buy here in the UK.

Korean beauty formulas are known for being especially hydrating with a dewy finish, yet incredibly lightweight. This makes them ideal for laying up and for use in summer, when applying heavy cream in hot weather might not be that appealing. Here are the ones that impressed me the most…

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Best Korean beauty sunscreens tried and tested

Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun : Rice + Probiotics SPF50+ PA++++

Currently £12.40 from Lookfantastic (usual price £15.50)

This and Beauty of Joseon’s other facial sunscreen (see below) are perhaps the best known of the bunch here, having recently launched in Boots and Lookfantastic, and going viral on TikTok.

It’s a creamy lotion-type consistency but one that’s very thin and quite runny, almost like a milk, and really lovely and soothing to apply. It sinks into the skin almost immediately yet still leaves a slightly hydrated feel and a very slight glow, and it may not have enough of a moisturizing feel for dry skin types. The tube is also a bit messy to use.

Another member of our team also loves this, saying, “I found that my skin felt so quenched that I didn’t need to use a separate moisturiser, and it also sits really well underneath make-upwhich can be a challenge to find with sunscreens.”

Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Moisture Airyfit Daily Sunscreen SPF50+ PA++++

Currently £15.30 from Boots (usual price £17)

Haruharu Wonder is one of the newest Korean beauty brands to land on my beauty desk, which calls itself “a minimalist K-beauty brand” that “blends gentle rituals with cutting-edge fermentation tech to support visible skin health over time”.

Airyfit Daily Sunscreen has more of a luxe look and feel than some of the others here, from the handy pump packaging to the elevated texture – nourishing yet absolutely non-greasy, with zero white cast. This one feels more like a nice moisturiser, and my skin would be happy if I skipped my usual face cream and just used this. It’s my favorite out of the bunch.

Dr. Althea Green Tea Fresh Sunscreen SPF50+ PA++++

Currently £15.99 from Stylevanna (usual price £19)

I can tell that Dr. Althea’s sunscreens are going to have a lot of appeal for younger shoppers (and that can only be a good thing) because of their cute circular bottles; granted, these don’t stand up very well on your dressing table, and aren’t very easy to squeeze once they’re nearly empty, but they’re easy to pack and fun to use.

This one contains green tea and cica extracts to soothe sun-stressed skin, and leaves a refreshing feeling and a nice glow to the skin.

Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Aqua-fresh Rice + B5 SPF50 PA++++

Currently £12.40 from Lookfantastic (usual price £15.50)

This is Beauty of Joseon’s other SPF 50, and the one that’s probably better suited to oily or combination skin types. It is actually very similar in consistency to the Rice + Probiotics one, but has a bit more of a watery, more cooling feel, and leaves a slight ‘drag’ on the skin.

It’s not quite hydrating enough for my skin (I definitely need to apply it over the top of a moisturiser), but I can see it really appealing to anyone who hates the usual feel of sun cream – or even any skincare – on their face, or maybe with male shoppers.

Dr. Althea Aqua Glowing Sunscreen SPF 50+ PA++++

Currently £15.99 from Stylevanna (usual price £19.19)

If it’s natural-looking glow without greasiness that you’re after, this is the one for you. It’s very similar to Dr. Althea’s Green Tea SPF above – and, actually, all of these – in that it’s super lightweight and so easily absorbed, but with niacinamide and a ceramide, it gives more of a radiant finishwhich I loved.