Beauty of Joseon sunscreen review: which Relief Sun?
Updated September 8, 2026
A review praises a creamy Beauty of Joseon sunscreen. You find a familiar tube, order it, and discover that the name or ingredients are different. With this brand, that doesn't necessarily mean anything is wrong: Relief Sun has a new name, Aqua-Fresh is a separate formula, and Day Dew was developed for the US market.
That distinction comes before any verdict about glow or greasiness. This researched Beauty of Joseon sunscreen review centers on Relief Sun, the product long known as Rice + Probiotics, and explains which observations carry over to today's shopping decision. We checked current official formulas and published reviews; we haven't conducted a wear test or measured these sunscreens' protection ourselves.
Start with the complete name on the tube
Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics, now Rice + Niacinamide
Beauty of Joseon's global listing now calls the original Relief Sun: Rice + Niacinamide SPF50+ PA++++. Its FAQ says this is a naming and packaging update: the formula, ingredients and 50 mL size remain unchanged. Old and new labels may appear together during the transition. Niacinamide was already part of the formula. The new name highlights an existing ingredient.
The brand describes this as its creamy, dewy option. It lists four UV filters, including ethylhexyl triazone and methylene bis-benzotriazolyl tetramethylbutylphenol, alongside niacinamide, glycerin, rice extracts and ferments. Its directions tell you to choose a water-resistant sunscreen for swimming or sweating. Don't attach Day Dew's 80-minute claim to this tube.
Relief Sun Aqua-Fresh: Rice + B5
Aqua-Fresh SPF50+ PA++++ is a different 50 mL sunscreen, marketed as a lighter fluid for people who find Relief Sun too rich. Its current list includes rice seed water and panthenol, with a different combination of five UV filters. It isn't the original Relief Sun diluted or renamed. Its directions also call for a water-resistant sunscreen when swimming or sweating. Official Aqua-Fresh formula and directions
Those official global pages can display different currencies and regional availability. Their presence online isn't a promise that the same item ships to a US address.
Day Dew Sunscreen
Day Dew is the current US option considered here: broad-spectrum SPF 50, 50 mL, with 80-minute water resistance stated on the official page. Its active ingredients are avobenzone 3%, homosalate 7%, octisalate 5% and octocrylene 5%. Beauty of Joseon describes a dewy, makeup-friendly finish. Official US Day Dew listing
Those ingredients differ from both Relief Sun formulas. A review of Rice + Probiotics therefore can't establish Day Dew's texture, eye comfort or performance under your foundation. Likewise, a good experience with Day Dew doesn't tell you that Aqua-Fresh will feel identical.
What the protection labels mean for your day
SPF describes sunburn protection, primarily against UVB. The US term broad spectrum indicates protection against both UVA and UVB. Neither tells you how many hours you can stay outside without reapplying. FDA sunscreen guidance
The PA++++ on Relief Sun and Aqua-Fresh is a UVA protection grade. It is the highest grade in the PA system, but it isn't an exact UVA protection value you can use to rank two PA++++ products against each other. JCIA SPF and PA labeling standards
Water resistance answers a different question: what happens during swimming or sweating? Here, Day Dew's stated 80-minute rating is a practical distinction. It doesn't mean waterproof, and it doesn't remove the need to follow the label's reapplication instructions. A high SPF on a non-water-resistant formula can't fill that gap.
For a sunscreen made for the US market, read its Drug Facts panel as well as the front label. A translated listing, familiar brand logo or US-dollar price isn't enough to tell you which formula will arrive. Our broader Korean sunscreen buying guide explains how to compare protection and finish across brands.
Is Relief Sun really lightweight and invisible?
Its moisturizer-like feel is the reason many people look it up. But the published experiences aren't identical, and that is useful information rather than a problem to smooth away.
In her Lab Muffin review, Michelle Wong describes Relief Sun as hydrating and lightweight on her oily, dehydration-prone skin. She also notes that a cast can appear on some darker skin tones. That's a more useful expectation than treating “chemical sunscreen” as a guarantee of invisibility. Lab Muffin's review
Dr Rachel Ho reports a different finish: pleasant application, but insufficient hydration for her and a faint cast that made her skin look dull. Her experience is one person's observation, not proof that everyone with dry or oily skin will respond the same way. Dr Rachel Ho's Relief Sun review
There is also an application detail worth noticing in Live That Glow's positive review. The writer describes using a pea-sized amount on her face. That limits what her makeup and texture observations can tell someone applying a generous sunscreen layer. It doesn't independently establish the protection she received. Live That Glow's review
We wouldn't average those accounts into a score. Instead, use them to decide what to check: the finish in daylight, how it sits around your hairline, whether you still need moisturizer, and whether the amount you need feels comfortable. A perfect-looking tiny swatch can miss the very thing that matters during regular use.
How it fits your morning
If your cheeks tend to feel tight, don't remove your moisturizer simply because someone else says Relief Sun replaced theirs. Try the sunscreen over the moisturizer you already tolerate. If the result feels too rich, first consider whether an optional serum or primer underneath is adding more than you need. Keep the sunscreen amount generous.
If you want a noticeably matte finish, the original's dewy positioning makes it a less obvious starting point. Aqua-Fresh's lighter positioning gives you a different option to investigate, but “lighter” doesn't guarantee matte, and it doesn't turn that formula into a water-resistant one.
If sunscreen often stings or leaves you uncomfortable, check the full formula against your own known triggers. The current official ingredient lists don't name fragrance or parfum, but fragrance-free isn't a promise of universal tolerance. The sensitive-skin sunscreen guide covers that decision in more detail, including when a different type of formula may be worth considering.
For makeup, judge the combination you actually wear. Pilling could involve several layers or how they're applied; one person's trouble with a foundation doesn't identify a universal defect in the sunscreen. Let the sunscreen settle before makeup and simplify optional layers if necessary. Using less sunscreen to make foundation look smoother undermines the purpose of the step.
Use enough, and plan for reapplication
The American Academy of Dermatology recommends broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher with water resistance. Its application guidance calls for at least a teaspoon for the face, plus coverage of other exposed areas, and application before going outdoors. That makes a pea-sized skincare dab a poor model to copy. AAD sunscreen application guidance
Apply sunscreen as the final skincare layer before makeup, covering exposed skin evenly. Follow your exact product's instructions, including its timing before sun exposure. FDA's general guidance is to apply 15 minutes beforehand and reapply at least every two hours, more often with swimming or sweating. Keep shade, clothing and a hat in the plan too.
Both Relief Sun pages give a two-hour reapplication instruction in their main directions. Aqua-Fresh's FAQ also mentions two to three hours; we would follow the clearer, more frequent two-hour direction. For water exposure, choose a formula with a stated water-resistance rating and follow its label rather than borrowing directions from a similarly named product.
Is it worth buying?
Relief Sun makes sense to investigate if you want a creamy daily sunscreen and like the possibility of a dewy finish. Its appeal is less convincing if your non-negotiable needs are a reliably matte appearance or protection labeled for swimming and sweating. Aqua-Fresh addresses the lighter-texture preference; Day Dew brings a separate US formula and a stated water-resistance rating.
At our September 8, 2026 check, the official US store listed one 50 mL Day Dew at $18 regular price and $16.20 on promotion. We haven't treated the global Relief Sun page's regional or multipack prices as equivalent US offers. Compare the same size, exact version and final delivered cost before deciding a listing is cheaper.
For a first purchase, one tube gives you the chance to find out whether it works with your normal morning. Once you've identified the formula you like, keep its full name with your repurchase notes. That small detail will be more useful next time than remembering only “the Beauty of Joseon sunscreen.”
