Shereene IdrissBoard Certified Derm, Founder and Chief Nerd

Korean, Australian, Japanese Sunscreens in America? #sunscreen

21 Mar 2025 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

0:58

Short consumer-advice video excerpt (Shereene Idriss) warning that sunscreens marketed as "Korean" in U.S. retailers may differ from Korean-market formulations because U.S. products must use FDA-approved filters (sunscreen is regulated as a drug), whereas many Korean filters are not FDA-approved and thus cannot be sold in the U.S. The speaker advises not to be misled by marketing, notes that products made in Korea for the U.S. market may have different ingredient lists, and cites the brand Ultraviolet/Australian formulations as an example.

Chapters

Korean sunscreens. They are now in the US but don't get too excited if you're like me and have fallen in love with this particular sunscreen. The beauty of Joshua, don't get fooled by marketing by the brands or by the retailers because even though this product is now arriving in the US it's not the same product as in Korea. In fact, a lot of retailers are marketing Korean sunscreens as Korean sunscreens. But when you look closely at the ingredient list of the Korean version versus the American version, it's completely different because the American version has to adhere to the FD DA as sunscreen is considered a drug, whereas the Korean filters are not FDA approved and therefore not allowed to be sold in the US So when you see this product sold in the US at a retailer in the US it is adhering to the US filters and it is not a Korean sunscreen. It might be made in Korea, but it's not a Korean sunscreen. Another brand you'll see this with is this amazing brand called Ultraviolet. I love their Australian version. I have yet to try their American version. I'm sure they've probably created beautiful formulas, but it's different filter and now you know.