Not solely that, however Korean sunscreens use the PA ranking system, which measures safety from UVA rays. “The PA system ranges from PA+ to PA+++, with PA+++ being the very best degree of UVA safety,” says Dr. Chang. The U.S. doesn’t have a standardized system like this for UVA safety, however as an alternative buckets it underneath the time period “broad-spectrum” to point protection in opposition to UVA and UVB rays; the precise degree of protection this affords is unclear.

What to search for in a Korean sunscreen

SPF Degree

Sunscreen safety issue, or SPF, is similar in Korea as it’s stateside. Nonetheless, “within the US, SPF can vary from 15 to 100—and particular safety components are usually labeled,” says Dr. Chang. In the meantime, in Korea, these scores typically transcend SPF 50, though manufacturers don’t all the time share the precise quantity; moderately, their SPF is marked as 50+. (Take into account that the American Academy of Dermatology recommends a minimal of SPF 30, so this shouldn’t be trigger for alarm.)

Chemical versus mineral filters

Chemical filters sink into pores and skin, the place they convert UV power into warmth, which finally dissipates from pores and skin. “The vast majority of Korean sunscreens are chemical sunscreens, and so they’re secure and efficient,” says Dr. Kim. They lend themselves to Korean sunscreens’ famously weightless texture and invisible, residue-free end.

In the meantime, bodily, or mineral, filters stay on the floor on the pores and skin, the place they “have the power to mirror and bodily block the UV rays,” says Dr. Kim. He prefers these for hyperpigmentation and for his sufferers who’re pregnant, breastfeeding, or present process fertility remedies, as they’re not absorbed by pores and skin.

Texture

There’s barely much less variation in texture amongst Korean sunscreens, partly as a result of all of them handle to really feel weightless and ethereal on pores and skin. Nonetheless, they do have some variations, and it’s price taking your pores and skin sort under consideration. “Some textures are extra hydrating, so that they’re extra suited to folks with dry pores and skin,” says Dr. Kim. For these with oily or acne-prone pores and skin, think about extra light-weight gel or serum-like choices, which may sink in rapidly.

Meet the Specialists

• Claire Chang, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist at Union Sq. Laser Dermatology in New York Metropolis
• David Kim, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and founding father of skin-care model Lifesaver