Olive Young Best-Selling Sunscreens
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Forget what went viral on TikTok for a week. The more interesting question is what Koreans quietly put back in their cart, year after year. Olive Young is Korea’s biggest health-and-beauty chain, and its annual awards are decided by real purchase data across roughly 100 million transactions, not by a marketing vote. So we can find out which sunscreens actually deserve a re-buy. We pulled the official rankings, cross-checked every formula on the ingredient databases, and folded in first-hand Korean reviews, drawbacks included.
TL;DR: The reliable #1 is the Round Lab Birch Juice sunscreen, which topped the Sun Care category at the 2025 Olive Young Awards. Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun is the other safe, everyone-buys-it staple. The under-the-radar picks Koreans love but the West sleeps on: AESTURA Derma UV365 (a sensitive-skin favorite in Korea), Dr.G Green Mild Up (a true mineral option), and Goodal Green Tangerine for a vitamin C tone-up. All are SPF50+ PA++++.
How does Olive Young’s data actually work?
Olive Young is where most Koreans actually buy their skincare, online and in stores nationwide. Its year-end awards rank products by real sales and re-purchase data across around 100 million transactions, so a winner is something people bought, finished, and bought again, not something an ad told them to try. That is the whole appeal here: it filters out the one-week viral spike and shows you the sunscreens people actually stick with. Rankings shift over time, so treat any “best-seller” as a snapshot, current as of mid-2026.
The picks
1. Round Lab Birch Juice Moisturizing Sun Cream
The one to beat. Round Lab’s Birch Juice sunscreen took the #1 spot in the Sun Care category at the 2025 Olive Young Awards [1][2], and according to Round Lab and Korean media reports, it has led that category for several years. It uses modern chemical filters (Uvinul A Plus, Uvinul T 150, Tinosorb M, and Uvasorb HEB) with birch sap, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide [3], which is why Korean reviewers tend to describe it as watery and hydrating, with little to no white cast for most people.
Just know that it is on the hydrating side, so if you have very oily skin and want a dry matte finish, this is not that. For most people wanting an easy, comfortable daily, it earns the re-buy. Check price
2. Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics
The one everyone already owns. It is a long-running Olive Young staple and the sunscreen most people abroad meet first. It uses the same next-generation filter family as the Round Lab (Uvinul A Plus, Uvinul T 150, Tinosorb M, Uvasorb HEB), plus around 30% rice extract and grain-ferment probiotics [4], which is why reviewers tend to find it light and calm, without a chalky cast.
One trade-off: right after you apply it, it can feel slightly slick before it settles, and the light scent is a personal preference. If you want one safe, cheap, do-everything sunscreen, this is still it. We compared its two versions in our Beauty of Joseon comparison. Check price
3. AESTURA Derma UV365
Big in Korea, barely known in the West. AESTURA is a dermatology-cosmetic brand (from Amorepacific) that Koreans with sensitive, barrier-stressed skin reach for again and again, and it rarely shows up in English reviews.
One thing to remember: the Derma UV365 line has very different versions. The Barrier Hydro Mineral one is 100% zinc oxide with ceramides and hyaluronic acid, made for reactive skin. The Red Calming Tone-Up one is a hybrid: six filters including Tinosorb S and titanium dioxide, for redness and a light tone-up [5]. Pick by which job you want, and check the exact name before you buy. Check price
4. Dr.G Green Mild Up Sun+
Korea’s derma-brand default, and the mineral pick here. Dr.G was started by a dermatologist and is a household name in Korea, but it has a quieter following abroad. Green Mild Up Sun+ is its signature, and the current formula is pure zinc oxide, so there are no chemical filters in it, with centella, ectoin, and houttuynia to calm irritated skin [6].
Where it falls short: as a mineral sunscreen it can leave a very slight cast and a bit of a tone-up right after you apply, and Dr.G’s lineup is large, so make sure you are getting the Green Mild Up and not one of its siblings. If you want the gentlest, low-irritation option, this is the one. Check price
5. Goodal Green Tangerine Vita C Tone Up
The vitamin C tone-up. Goodal’s green-tangerine line is popular in Korea for a brightening, radiant finish, and gets less attention in English. This one is a tone-up cream with SPF, so it gives a light glow along with sun protection.
A thing to note: this tone-up cream uses an older-style filter mix (including octinoxate and octocrylene), not the newest filters, so it is not reef-safe like the Round Lab or Beauty of Joseon [7]. The vitamin C here is a small amount of a stable derivative, not a treatment dose. And whether a tone-up reads as “glow” or “slightly pale” depends on your skin, so go easy. If you want that fresh, tone-up finish, it is a fun daily. Check price
Big in Korea, slept-on in the West
Two of these are the ones you already see everywhere abroad: the Round Lab and the Beauty of Joseon. The other three are the interesting part. AESTURA, Dr.G, and Goodal are names Koreans buy on repeat but that most English-language “best Korean sunscreen” lists skip. If you have already tried the usual two and want to see what Koreans actually keep in rotation, start there.
Straight from the Korean reviews
We pulled first-hand Korean blog reviews for the picks (linked in Sources, use auto-translate). Two are worth reading.
On the Round Lab, a reviewer who found it after mineral sunscreens felt tight [8]:
On the Goodal, a genuine “bought it with my own money” review [9]:
Viral vs steady: how to tell
A viral sunscreen and a proven seller are not the same thing, and the gap is easy to spot once you know what to look for. A viral pick spikes on TikTok, then fades. A proven seller keeps its ranking across a full year of real purchase data, the way the Round Lab has held the Olive Young Sun Care top spot. When in doubt, look for the boring signal: not “it blew up,” but “people keep re-buying it.” That is the whole idea behind this list.
Where to buy
Check the current price at YesStyle:
- Round Lab Birch Juice Moisturizing Sun Cream
- Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics
- AESTURA Derma UV365
- Dr.G Green Mild Up Sun+
- Goodal Green Tangerine Vita C Tone Up
FAQ
What is Olive Young?
It is Korea’s largest health-and-beauty retailer, the main place Koreans buy skincare in person and online. Its year-end awards rank products by real sales and re-purchase data.
Are the Olive Young Awards trustworthy?
They are based on actual purchase data across around 100 million transactions, not a public vote, so they reflect what people really bought and re-bought. Rankings still change year to year, so read them as a snapshot.
How is this different from a viral sunscreen?
A viral product spikes briefly on social media. A proven seller holds its ranking across a full year of purchases. This list is about the second kind.
Do the Korean and global versions have the same ingredients?
Not always. Some Korean sunscreens use different filters in their US versions, so check the ingredient list on the exact product page before you buy.
Sources
Olive Young Awards and rankings:
[1] Round Lab Birch Juice, #1 in Sun Care at the 2025 Olive Young Awards (as reported by Korean media, citing Round Lab), Sisa Magazine: link
[2] Olive Young 2025 Awards (official): link
Ingredient and filter breakdowns (INCIDecoder):
[3] Round Lab Birch Juice Moisturizing Sun Cream: link
[4] Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics: link
[5] AESTURA Derma UV365 Barrier Hydro Mineral: link · Red Calming Tone-Up: link
[6] Dr.G Green Mild Up Sun+: link
[7] Goodal Green Tangerine Vita C Tone Up Cream: link
Korean blog reviews (first-hand, in Korean, use browser auto-translate):
[8] Round Lab Birch Juice Sunscreen, Naver blog (cosy7946): link
[9] Goodal Green Tangerine sunscreen, Naver blog (lll7777lll): link
