Korean Sun Patches: What UPF 50+ Actually Covers, and What It Doesn’t
In Korea, sun patches have a shelf of their own. Olive Young Korea gives them their own sun care category, and on 30 September 2026 that category listed 16 products, including a golf patch, two versions named after golf scores (birdie and eagle), and one made for the back of the neck.[1] Earlier that day, a Franz patch was 21st in the chain’s sun care sales ranking.[2] Other brands sell stick-on patches too, and two of the brand pages we read, Shade Patch and Sun Patch, both print “UPF 50+” on theirs. We read one Korean label, three brands’ product pages and the research record to see what Korean sun patches actually promise, and what that number can and can’t tell you.
The short version: Korean sun patches are stick-on films or fabrics that block UV only on the skin they cover, and the ones we read are rated in UPF, the scale used for fabric, not SPF. The Korean patch we checked lists no sunscreen filter at all.[3] Three product pages give three different sets of numbers, and only one names the lab tests behind them.[4-6] We found no published study that tested these patches on people.[12] A patch makes sense for one exposed spot, like a cheekbone on the golf course, with sunscreen on everything else.
What Korean sun patches are, going by the labels
Start with the Korean label, because Korean product pages have to print a lot. Olive Young Korea’s page for the Franz NAKED SunShield Peptide large patch, a two-step kit, lists the product type as cosmetics and prints the full ingredient list that the Cosmetics Act requires.[3] The patch is step one. Its list opens with acrylates/ethylhexyl acrylate copolymer, then 1,2-hexanediol and glycerin, followed by four peptides, glutathione, galactomyces ferment filtrate, black mulberry fruit extract and ribose, and there’s no sunscreen filter anywhere on it.[3] So whatever protection it offers has to come from the patch itself acting as a barrier.
That matches how dermatologist Lauren Penzi described these products to HuffPost in 2024: “[Most] UV patches act as a physical barrier that provides UPF protection, which is similar but different to traditional SPF.”[11] The two other brands we read describe theirs the same way. Shade Patch lists “No SPF, no filters.” with a jojoba oil adhesive,[5] and Sun Patch sells reusable silicone patches it calls a “Patented UPF 50+ UV silicone material,” adding that it put zinc oxide in them.[6]
Two more lines on the Korean label are worth reading slowly. It says the product has passed Korea’s functional cosmetic review or report under the Cosmetics Act, but it doesn’t say which function, and the kit also includes a step-two essence.[3] That line alone doesn’t tell you the UV claim was the part that got reviewed. The warnings, on the other hand, are specific: the patch is single-use and shouldn’t be reused, it should stay away from the eye area and broken skin, and people who react to adhesive plasters or compresses should take care.[3]
UPF on a patch is not SPF
UPF is a rating for materials. Australia’s radiation protection agency, ARPANSA, tests clothing to the Australian and New Zealand standard AS/NZS 4399 and puts it plainly: “The UPF rating indicates how well the material blocks ultraviolet radiation from the sun.”[7] The standard has three classes: 15 is minimum protection, 30 is good, and 50 or 50+ is excellent.[7] How the number is measured, and what it does on a shirt, is in our UPF clothing guide.
SPF comes from a different test. The FDA explains that SPF values are determined from a test that measures protection against sunburn, which is why “SPF values primarily indicate a sunscreen’s UVB protection.”[10] What an SPF number means in practice is covered in SPF 30 vs 50.
UPF is tied to sunburn as well, just on a machine instead of a volunteer. The Skin Cancer Foundation’s short version is that “UPF measures both UVB and UVA rays,”[14] and the lab test does look at both. But the US textile method, AATCC TM183, computes the UPF itself from ultraviolet that is “erythemally weighted,” so each wavelength counts according to how well it reddens skin, and the same method adds that “The percent blocking of UVA and UVB radiation is also calculated.”[9] Here’s where we add our own reading, and it’s ours, not the standard’s: one weighted number can’t tell you, by itself, how much UVA gets through, which is why that separate UVA figure is the one to look for. ARPANSA’s test reports list the mean UVA and UVB transmittance separately from the UPF rating too.[8]
Three product pages, three sets of numbers
These are the claims as each brand prints them, read on 30 September 2026.
| Product page | What it claims | Test named on the page |
|---|---|---|
| FRANZ NAKED SunShield Peptide Patch, US site[4] | “UPF 50+ Grade, UV-A 98.1% / UV-B 99.9% protection” | None that we could find |
| Shade Patch[5] | “99% UVB BLOCKED 90% UVA BLOCKED” and “UPF 50+ HIGHEST RATING” | “AATCC 183 & AS/NZS 4399” |
| Sun Patch[6] | “blocks 98% UVA/UVB rays all day”, and further down the page, “block 99.8% of UVA/UVB rays” after adding zinc oxide | No method named; the home page says “Clinically proven” |
Three things stand out. The numbers don’t agree. For UVA, Franz says 98.1% and Shade Patch says 90%, while Sun Patch gives one combined UVA/UVB figure: 98% in one line and 99.8% a few lines later.[4-6] Only Shade Patch names the test methods behind its rating.[5] And all three say you don’t have to reapply the patch. Franz writes “You don’t need to reapply,” Shade Patch writes “No Reapplication. Ever.” and Sun Patch says its patches “only need to be applied once.”[4-6]
That last promise is about the patch, not about you. The skin around it still depends on sunscreen, and the FDA’s instruction for that skin is unchanged: “Reapply sunscreen at least every two hours, and more often if you’re sweating or swimming.”[10]
Has anyone tested these patches on people?
We searched PubMed, the US National Library of Medicine’s database of research papers, on 30 September 2026. Titles and abstracts containing “sun patch” or “sun patches”: zero. “Sunscreen patch” or “sunscreen patches”: zero. UV-protective or UV-blocking patch in any of six spellings: zero.[12]
The closest paper was a 2024 lab study that blended natural rubber latex with dextrin to develop “UV shielding transdermal patches”, and checked the material’s UV shielding and UPF in vitro and on living cells.[13] That’s a materials paper, not a test of a patch worn on a face outdoors. So the percentages on these boxes are the brands’ own figures, and we found no published study that checked them.
Where a sun patch makes sense
ARPANSA’s advice about clothing fits a patch exactly: “A garment can only protect the skin that it covers so protect your head and any exposed skin by wearing a hat, applying sunscreen and using shaded outdoor areas.”[7] A patch the size of a cheekbone covers a cheekbone. Dermatologist Brendan Camp made the same point to HuffPost: “Patches only protect a small area of the face, so sunscreen should be applied to all exposed areas of the face after patch application.”[11]
The Korean product names point at the situations where one spot matters most: a golf patch, birdie and eagle versions, and a patch for the back of the neck.[1] Those are long stretches outdoors where reapplying is awkward. The rest of the spots golfers miss, like the ears and the ungloved hand, are in our golf sunscreen guide, and the neck is half of our guide to sunscreen for the neck and hands.
One mix-up to avoid: a sun patch is meant to block UV, while a UV sticker changes color to show exposure. We looked at what the color-change kind can and can’t tell you in our UV sticker piece.
How to wear one with sunscreen
- Clean, dry skin first. Franz’s instructions start with “Fully cleanse and dry your skin.”[4] Penzi told HuffPost to make sure the patch goes on smooth, with no air bubbles or wrinkles.[11]
- Keep it off the eye area. The Korean label and Franz’s US page both say so.[3][4]
- Sunscreen on everything the patch doesn’t cover. That’s Camp’s rule, and it covers most of your face.[11]
- Reapply that sunscreen on schedule. At least every two hours, sooner if you sweat or swim.[10] Sun Patch’s own page suggests SPF sticks for reapplying over its patches,[6] and our reapplication guide and sun sticks over makeup cover the technique.
- Check the edges during the day. In Penzi’s words: “If it loses adhesion due to sweat, movement, you should replace it with a new one.”[11]
- Know which kind you have. The Korean patch we read is single-use, and its label says not to reuse it.[3] Sun Patch sells its silicone patches as reusable.[6]
- Go carefully if tape bothers your skin. The Korean label warns people who react to adhesive plasters or compresses.[3]
FAQ
Do Korean sun patches replace sunscreen?
No. A patch protects only the skin it covers, and dermatologist Brendan Camp told HuffPost that sunscreen should go on all exposed areas of the face after the patch is on. Treat a patch as extra cover for one spot, like a cheekbone on a long round of golf.
Is UPF 50+ the same as SPF 50?
No. UPF is a rating for materials, measured on a machine, while SPF comes from a sunburn test that the FDA says mainly reflects UVB protection. A patch’s UPF describes the material, not what a sunscreen would do on your skin, and it doesn’t give you a separate UVA figure on its own.
Can you reuse a sun patch?
It depends on the kind. The Korean patch we checked is labeled single-use, and its label says not to reuse it. Silicone patches such as Sun Patch’s are sold as reusable.
Are sun patches good for golf?
They can cover a couple of exposed spots on a long round, like the cheekbones or the back of the neck, and Korean stores sell patches named for golf. They don’t cover the rest of your face, your ears or your hands, so those still need sunscreen, reapplied during the round.
Sources
Korean store pages (Olive Young Korea, read on 2026-09-30):
[1] Olive Young Korea, sun care > sun spray/sun patch > sun patch category, “16 개의 상품” (16 products), read 13:58 KST: link
[2] Olive Young Korea, sales ranking, sun care tab, read 10:05 KST; 21st: Franz NAKED SunShield Peptide Large Size 2-Step Patch (2ea x 5 sets): link
[3] Olive Young Korea, Franz NAKED SunShield Peptide Large Size 2-Step Patch (2ea x 5 sets), goodsNo A000000187242, product information disclosure panel (product type, full ingredient list, functional cosmetic line, precautions): link
Brand product pages (read on 2026-09-30):
[4] FRANZ Skincare USA, NAKED SunShield Peptide Patch (R Size): link
[5] Shade Patch, home page: link
[6] Sun Patch, home page: link
Standards, regulators and nonprofit guidance (read on 2026-09-30):
[7] ARPANSA, Australian sun protective clothing (AS/NZS 4399:2020): link
[8] ARPANSA, Explanatory notes for Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) reports (PDF): link
[9] AATCC, TM183 Test Method for Transmittance or Blocking of Erythemally Weighted Ultraviolet Radiation through Fabrics, scope and summary: link
[10] US Food and Drug Administration, Sunscreen: How to Help Protect Your Skin from the Sun: link
[14] The Skin Cancer Foundation, Sun Protective Clothing: link
Press (read on 2026-09-30):
[11] Tessa Flores, “These Patches Are The K-Beauty Sunscreen Innovation To Use If You Hate Reapplying,” HuffPost, June 7, 2024, quoting dermatologists Lauren Penzi and Brendan Camp: link
Research (PubMed, searched on 2026-09-30):
[12] PubMed title/abstract searches: “sun patch” OR “sun patches”, 0 results; “sunscreen patch” OR “sunscreen patches”, 0 results; “UV protective patch”, “UV-protective patch”, “UV blocking patch”, “UV-blocking patch”, “ultraviolet protective patch” or “UV protection patch”, 0 results: link
[13] Mathew MM, M G, Unnikrishnan G. Facile preparation and characterization of biodegradable and biocompatible UV shielding transdermal patches based on natural rubber latex- dextrin blends. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules. 2024;277:134183. PMID 39112113. doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.134183. Abstract read directly: link
