Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun vs Aqua-Fresh: Which One Should You Actually Buy?

So you’ve decided on Beauty of Joseon. Good call. It’s been one of Korea’s best-selling sunscreen lines for years, and it’s the one that blew up on TikTok. But did you know there are actually two Relief Sun versions now? The original Rice + Probiotics, and the newer Aqua-Fresh: Rice + B5. And the names don’t exactly make the difference obvious, do they?

The usual answer is “Original for dry skin, Aqua-Fresh for oily skin.” Mostly right. But it’s more about degree than a hard split, and the ingredient lists explain why. We read the reviews and the full formulas so you don’t have to.

The 10-second verdict

• Get the Original (Rice + Probiotics) if your skin is dry, normal, or sensitive and you like a dewy, hydrating glow. Check price
• Get the Aqua-Fresh (Rice + B5) if your skin is combination or oily and you want a lighter, semi-matte, watery feel. Check price
• One honest note: even the Aqua-Fresh isn’t a hardcore mattifier. If you run very oily in real heat, a bit of shine can still come back.

At a glance

	Original (Rice + Probiotics)	Aqua-Fresh (Rice + B5)
Texture	Creamy, lotion-like	Watery, serum-like
Finish	Dewy, hydrating glow	Semi-matte, weightless
Best for	Dry, normal, sensitive	Combination, oily
Hero extras	30% rice ferment, niacinamide, ginseng	Rice water, panthenol (B5), ceramide
Filters	4 modern chemical filters	5 modern chemical filters
Protection	SPF50+ PA++++	SPF50+ PA++++
White cast	None	None

Which should you buy?

Go Original if you want that classic Beauty of Joseon glow. It’s the creamier, more comforting one, with a soft dewy finish and a rice-and-probiotic combo aimed at calming the skin. Dry and sensitive types tend to love it.

Go Aqua-Fresh if you hate the feeling of sunscreen. It’s noticeably more watery, sinks in fast, and finishes semi-matte instead of dewy. That’s why combination and oily skin usually reach for it, especially on hot, humid days.

Why they feel so different (the ingredients)

Here’s the part most reviews skip. Both are SPF50+ PA++++, and both run only on modern, photostable chemical filters, no zinc or titanium. That’s the real reason neither leaves the chalky cast mineral sunscreens can. The Original uses four (including Tinosorb M); the Aqua-Fresh actually uses five (including Tinosorb S and the Mexoryl filters), so the protection is genuinely strong on both.

The difference you feel is the base, not the SPF.

The Original is built creamy. The 30% rice ferment plus a richer emollient texture is what gives it that dewy, plump glow, with niacinamide and ginseng to comfort the skin. Lovely on dry skin. On very oily skin in heat, that same richness can read a little heavy.

The Aqua-Fresh is the same DNA, reformulated lighter. It leans on rice water and panthenol (B5) for a watery slip, ceramide for the barrier, and a touch of silica and a light silicone for that quick-absorbing, semi-matte finish. So it genuinely sits lighter and less shiny than the Original.

The honest catch: it’s lighter, not fully matte. It still contains emollients (butyloctyl salicylate, a light silicone), so if you’re truly oily and out in real heat, a little shine can still creep back by afternoon. Pick by how oily you actually run, not just the label.

What reviewers say

Reading across English K-beauty reviews, hands-on side-by-side tests, and retailer ratings (the Aqua-Fresh sits around 4.5 out of 5 from 84 reviews on Boots), a few things come up again and again.

The big one: the simple “dry to Original, oily to Aqua” rule isn’t really true. Reviewers who’ve worn both point out they share the same base, and the Aqua-Fresh is just the lighter, more soothing version built to fix small complaints about the Original. So both suit a wide range of skin.

The Aqua-Fresh reads as the watery, semi-matte, “you forget you’re wearing it” one. It’s the fastest to absorb, leaves no white cast (nice on deeper skin tones), and layers cleanly under makeup. One honest flag: it includes a filter (Mexoryl SX) that a few acne-prone users find can trigger breakouts, so patch test if you’re sensitive.

The Original is the cozy, dewy, glowy one, and reviewers actually rate it well for combination and acne-prone skin too, not just dry, thanks to green tea and the creamy rice base. The main knock is that it can leave a faint cast on some skin tones.

Straight from the Korean blogs

We also pulled real first-hand reviews from Korean blogs (linked in Sources, use auto-translate), and they match the picture above with their own detail.

On the Original, Korean reviewers describe it as more water than oil. It sinks in fast, gives a soft inner glow (속광) with no white cast, and holds up under makeup without sliding or separating. One keeps it as her go-to for days she wants her makeup to last and her skin to stay fresh and dewy ^[1]. Another calls it moist with no white cast, and especially nice in dry winter weather ^[2].

On the Aqua-Fresh, a Korean reviewer with combination, acne-prone skin who usually finds mineral sunscreens too thick and chalky says this is the lightweight chemical-filter option she wanted: a light, lotion-like rice-and-panthenol formula that stays comfortable with no greasy feel and no cast, and she recommends it for combination and oily skin ^[3].

To be straight: these Korean reviews mostly praise the lightness, the no-cast finish, and the comfort. We didn’t see them flag the afternoon-shine issue on oily skin, so we’re not claiming they did.

Honest pros and cons

Original (Rice + Probiotics)

• Good: comfortable dewy glow, hydrating and calming, great under makeup, strong modern filters.
• Watch out: can feel rich for very oily skin in heat, and a faint cast is possible on some deeper skin tones.

Aqua-Fresh (Rice + B5)

• Good: featherlight, watery, fast-absorbing, semi-matte, lovely in humidity, five broad-spectrum filters.
• Watch out: lighter, not a true mattifier, so very oily skin in heat can still get some shine. A bit less cushioned for dry skin.

A note on white cast and deeper skin tones

Both use only chemical filters, so for most people there’s no white cast, and that’s the whole appeal. To be honest though, a few reviewers with deeper skin tones report a slight, temporary cast from the Original right after application that settles as it absorbs. If you’re medium-deep to deep, apply a thin layer and let it set before makeup, or lean toward the Aqua-Fresh.

Are they water resistant?

No. These are everyday cosmetic sunscreens, not swim-proof ones. Reviewers note that one of the shared filters (DHHB) isn’t meant for use while swimming, especially in chlorinated pools. So treat them as daily wear: reapply after swimming, heavy sweating, or every couple of hours in strong sun.

Final verdict

If you’re dry, normal, or sensitive, get the Original. It’s the safe, comforting, glowy default. Check price

If you’re combination or oily and want the weightless, semi-matte feel, get the Aqua-Fresh. Just remember it’s lighter, not fully matte. If you run very oily, you may want to pair it with a mattifying primer or powder, or look at a dedicated oil-control sunscreen. Check price

Where to buy

Check the current price at YesStyle:

• Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Original (Rice + Probiotics)
• Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Aqua-Fresh (Rice + B5)

FAQ

Is the Aqua-Fresh better than the Original?

Neither is better. They’re tuned for different skin. Aqua-Fresh is lighter, more watery and semi-matte, for combination and oily skin. The Original is creamier and glowier, for dry, normal, and sensitive skin.

Which Beauty of Joseon sunscreen is best for oily skin?

Usually the Aqua-Fresh, for its lighter, semi-matte finish. Just know it’s not a hardcore mattifier, so very oily skin can still see some shine in heat.

Do they leave a white cast?

No, for most people, since both use only chemical filters. Some deeper skin tones report a slight, temporary cast from the Original that fades as it absorbs.

Sources

Ingredient and filter breakdowns:
Original (Rice + Probiotics), INCIDecoder: link
Aqua-Fresh (Rice + B5), INCIDecoder: link
Aqua-Fresh (Rice + B5) full ingredient analysis, What’s In My Jar: link
Aqua-Fresh (Rice + B5), Skinsort: link

Reviews, comparisons, and ratings:
Relief Sun vs Aqua-Fresh hands-on comparison, Arktastic: link
Aqua-Fresh rating (4.5/5, 84 reviews), Boots: link
Aqua-Fresh review, The Summer Study: link
Aqua-Fresh review, Dr. Rachel Ho: link

Korean blog reviews (first-hand, in Korean, use browser auto-translate):
[1] Relief Sun Original, Naver blog (alldayisnewday): link
[2] Relief Sun Original, Naver blog (seskoo55): link
[3] Relief Sun Aqua-Fresh, Naver blog (dorrsikk): link