Why Korean Sunscreen Is Better: We Checked the UV Filters
Tinosorb S, Uvinul A Plus, and the filters the FDA hasn’t approved in 30+ years.
This isn’t opinion. It’s chemistry. Korean and Japanese sunscreens use newer-generation UV filters that are more photostable, more cosmetically elegant, and provide broader protection than anything the FDA has approved in the United States. The last new UV filter approved in the US was avobenzone — in the late 1980s. Here’s what you’re missing.
The filters the US doesn’t have
Korean and Japanese sunscreens have access to UV filters that the FDA has never approved: Tinosorb S (Bemotrizinol) — a photostable broad-spectrum filter that doesn’t degrade in sunlight. Uvinul A Plus (Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate) — one of the most effective UVA filters available anywhere. Tinosorb M (Bisoctrizole) — a hybrid organic/inorganic filter that covers both UVA and UVB. These filters have been approved in the EU, Korea, Japan, and Australia for years. The US is the global outlier.
Insight
The FDA’s sunscreen monograph has been stuck in regulatory limbo for decades. The Sunscreen Innovation Act of 2014 was supposed to fix this. As of 2026, not a single new UV filter has been approved through the process. The backlog is real, and your skin is paying for it.
Why photostability matters
Avobenzone — the primary UVA filter in most US sunscreens — degrades in sunlight within about 60 minutes unless stabilized by other ingredients. That means your SPF 50 sunscreen is losing UVA protection while you’re wearing it. Newer filters like Tinosorb S are inherently photostable. They don’t break down. Your protection at hour three is the same as at hour one. This is not a minor difference — it’s the difference between protection that lasts and protection that fades.
What PA++++ actually means
US sunscreens say “broad spectrum” — a vague term that means some UVA protection, with no standardized grading of how much. Korean and Japanese sunscreens use the PA system: PA+ (some UVA protection), PA++ (moderate), PA+++ (high), PA++++ (extremely high). PA++++ is the highest grade, and it’s standard on most Korean and Japanese sunscreens. When you buy a US sunscreen labeled “broad spectrum SPF 50,” you have no idea how it compares to a PA++++ product. The PA system gives you the information. The US system hides it.
The cosmetic elegance gap
Newer UV filters are not only more effective — they feel better on skin. They’re lighter, less greasy, and leave no white cast. This is why Korean sunscreens feel like moisturizers while American sunscreens feel like paste. The elegance isn’t just a texture preference. It’s a compliance issue. People who hate their sunscreen don’t wear it. Korean formulations solve the compliance problem by making SPF something you want to apply.
Beauty of Joseon
Relief Sun 50+
$10
vs $38
Biore
UV Aqua Rich
$10
vs $38
Canmake
Mermaid Skin UV Gel
$13
vs $38
The bottom line
The UV filter gap between the US and Asia is not a matter of opinion. It’s a regulatory failure. Korean and Japanese consumers have had access to superior sun protection for over a decade. Until the FDA catches up, importing your sunscreen from Seoul or Tokyo isn’t a beauty trend — it’s the evidence-based choice.