Beauty of Joseon Tinted Sunscreen Review: 15 Shades and What the Label Says
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Beauty of Joseon’s Relief Sun has over 500 reviews on the brand’s own site and a permanent spot on every K-beauty sunscreen list. That product has four organic UV filters and no tint. Now the same brand has released something completely different: a tinted mineral sunscreen with 15 shades. We read the ingredient list from top to bottom to see what actually changed.
The short version: this Beauty of Joseon tinted sunscreen review reads 38 ingredients from the product’s INCIDecoder listing. The brand’s own product page declares zinc oxide and titanium dioxide as the two active UV filters, both mineral.[1][2] All three iron oxides (yellow, red, black) are on the list, providing color across 15 shades labeled by depth and undertone.[1][2] Alcohol denat is ninth. No fragrance.[1] SPF 30 PA+++, $20, 40 mL.
The name changes depending on where you shop
This product appears under two names. The brand’s own website calls it the Tinted Mineral Dayscreen SPF 30.[2] Amazon’s listing calls it the Daily Tinted Fluid Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 40.[3] The ingredient database splits the difference and files it as Daily Tinted Fluid Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF30 Pa +++.[1]
The naming gap goes deeper than a label. Amazon prints SPF 40 and 50 mL. The brand’s own page prints SPF 30 and 40 mL.[2][3] The shade count also splits: Amazon says 12; the brand’s current product page shows 15.[2][3] This review follows the brand’s own page and the ingredient database, which agree on SPF 30 and 38 ingredients.
Why does this matter? Because you could read a retailer page, form expectations about SPF and size, and receive a different label in the box. If you check one source, make it the brand’s own product page rather than a third-party listing.
What the Beauty of Joseon tinted sunscreen shades mean
Each shade is a number plus a letter. The number is the depth. The letter is the undertone: C for cool, N for neutral, W for warm.[2]
| Shade | Depth range | Undertone |
|---|---|---|
| 15C | Very fair | Cool |
| 17N | Very fair | Neutral |
| 21W | Fair | Warm |
| 23N | Fair | Neutral |
| 25W | Light | Warm |
| 29N | Light-medium | Neutral |
| 33N | Medium | Neutral |
| 35N | Medium | Neutral |
| 39W | Medium-tan | Warm |
| 43W | Tan | Warm |
| 45N | Tan-deep | Neutral |
| 47N | Deep | Neutral |
| 51N | Deep | Neutral |
| 54N | Very deep | Neutral |
| 59N | Deepest | Neutral |
The distribution tells you a lot about who this range was built around. Ten of the 15 shades are neutral, four are warm, and one is cool.[2] If you have a strong cool or olive undertone and a medium or deeper skin depth, there is no match in this range. The brand describes them as “15 flexible shades” that “allow you to build up to medium coverage.”[2]
For context, 15 shades is more than any other Korean tinted sunscreen we’ve reviewed. Our tinted sunscreen guide checked six Korean tinted picks, and the one with the most shade options (numbuzin) offered two.[4] Most of the others gave you one shade and called it universal. So 15 is a step forward for K-beauty.
But against Western foundation ranges, 15 is still limited. Fenty offers over 50 shades, MAC over 60. A wider range than other Korean brands does not automatically mean a comprehensive range. And when researchers tested seven “universal” tinted sunscreens at 2 mg/cm² on 30 people, the color match dropped sharply at the extremes: SPT V-VI (dark) got a match from just 1 of the 7 products.[6] None of those products were Korean, and this BOJ dayscreen was not tested. But the takeaway applies: a number on a product page is not the same as a color match on your skin.
The filter question: mineral only
The ingredient database puts zinc oxide at position one and tags it as the only UV filter on the page.[1] The brand’s own product page lists both zinc oxide and titanium dioxide as active ingredients.[2]
Why the mismatch? The ingredient listing shows 33 of 38 total ingredients; five are not visible on the page.[1] Titanium dioxide may be among those five. The brand’s active-ingredient declaration on a US product page is FDA-regulated, so we have no reason to doubt it. This review treats the product as a dual-mineral formula.
What is clear from the visible list: no organic (chemical) UV filters appear anywhere in the 33 ingredients shown.[1] That is a complete departure from BOJ’s other sunscreens. The Relief Sun, the brand’s biggest seller, has four organic filters and no mineral filter.[5] The Stay Fresh Green and Purple tone-up products also rely on organic filters.[4] This dayscreen is the only BOJ sunscreen that leads with zinc oxide.
One name in the first few positions looks like it could be a third filter and is not. Butyloctyl salicylate is third, and INCIDecoder classifies it as a solvent, not a UV filter.[1] We noted the same ingredient tripping people up in our beplain review, so consider this a flag rather than a repeated explanation.
Mineral UV filters work by reflecting UV light rather than absorbing it. They are generally considered better tolerated on sensitive skin, but they tend to leave more visible residue, especially on darker skin tones. The 15-shade matching partly addresses this: the iron oxide pigments add color that can mask some of the mineral cast. For a deeper look at how mineral and organic filters compare, see our piece on organic versus inorganic filters.
Reading the ingredient list from top to bottom
38 ingredients total, 33 visible on the database page. Here are the groups that tell you the most about what this formula does.[1]
Emollients (positions 3 through 8). Six emollients in a row after zinc oxide and water: butyloctyl salicylate, isopropyl myristate, coco-caprylate/caprate, caprylic/capric triglyceride, neopentyl glycol diheptanoate, and ethylhexyl isononanoate.[1] A heavy emollient load is typical in mineral formulas, where the base needs to counteract the dry, chalky feel of zinc oxide.
Alcohol denat (position 9). Not the fatty kind. This is denatured alcohol, a solvent that helps the formula dry down quickly but can be drying or irritating for sensitive skin. Its presence means this product is not alcohol-free.[1] The database does flag it as “Fragrance and Essential Oil Free,” and no fragrance, perfume, or essential oil appears in the visible list.[1]
Mattifiers (positions 14 and 15). Silica and methyl methacrylate crosspolymer, both before the midpoint of the list.[1] These are consistent with the brand’s claims of a matte finish and pore-blurring effect.[2]
Iron oxides (positions 24, 28, 29). CI 77492 (yellow iron oxide), CI 77491 (red iron oxide), and CI 77499 (black iron oxide), all three present.[1] These pigments create the shade-matched tints. They also carry a separate significance: research on visible-light blocking has focused on iron oxides more than any other pigment group. Yet when researchers surveyed 37 tinted sunscreens in 2026, nearly all of them (97.3%) left iron oxide off the active-ingredient panel, and only about 1 in 10 brands would share the iron oxide percentage when contacted directly.[7] This dayscreen contains iron oxides but does not state their percentage.[1]
Artemisia capillaris extract (position 30). A member of the mugwort family, sometimes used as a soothing agent. It’s near the end of the list, so whatever it does, it is present in a small amount.[1]
Antioxidants (positions 32 and 33). Tocopherol (vitamin E) and ascorbyl palmitate (a vitamin C derivative), both near the bottom of the visible list.[1]
The brand’s marketing highlights “Fermented Brown Rice” and “Ceramide” as key ingredients.[2] Neither one appears in the 33 ingredients shown on the database page.[1] Five ingredients remain hidden in the listing, and those marketed ingredients may be among them. We are noting the gap instead of assuming.
Where this fits in BOJ’s sunscreen lineup
Beauty of Joseon now sells at least four distinct sunscreen formulas. Here is what the ingredient lists say about how they compare.
| Relief Sun | Stay Fresh Green | Stay Fresh Purple | Tinted Mineral Dayscreen | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV filter type | 4 organic | 4 organic | 4 organic | Mineral (ZnO + TiO2) |
| Iron oxides | No | No | No | Yes, all three |
| Shade options | 1 (no tint) | 1 (green correction) | 1 (purple correction) | 15 (shade-matched) |
| SPF / PA | 50+ / PA++++ | 50+ / PA++++ | 50+ / PA++++ | 30 / PA+++ |
| Fragrance | No | No | No | No |
| Purpose | UV + rice + probiotics | UV + redness correction | UV + sallowness correction | UV + shade-matched coverage |
The Tinted Mineral Dayscreen is the only product in the lineup with mineral filters, the only one with iron oxides, and the only one where you pick a shade that matches your skin rather than applying a color-correction tint. It also carries the lowest SPF of the group at 30, compared to 50+ for the other three.[1][2][4][5]
If you need a deeper ingredient breakdown for any of those, our Relief Sun review covers the organic-filter version in detail, and our tinted sunscreen guide includes both Stay Fresh variants alongside other brands.
What a reviewer found out about applying it
Emma Stout at Bustle tested shade 33N on acne-prone, oily-T-zone skin and rated it 4 out of 5.[8]
The biggest takeaway from the review is about application. She initially applied it like a regular sunscreen and struggled. Once she switched to a damp beauty sponge, the experience changed: “It layered beautifully under the rest of my cream products, there wasn’t the usual sunscreen smell.”[8]
On coverage: “The pigment is actually buildable…one layer corrected any discoloration without looking like I was wearing much makeup.”[8]
On oil control: “The matte finish kept my otherwise oily T-zone looking smooth and blurred through an especially humid workday.”[8]
The trade-off she flagged: “It requires some skin prep and…isn’t the kind of formula you’ll want to reapply every couple of hours.”[8] Her overall conclusion was that this product works best when treated as an everyday complexion product with UV protection, not as a beach sunscreen you keep layering on.[8]
What 15 shades can and cannot promise
The shade numbers run from 15 (very fair) to 59 (deepest), with the deepest four shades covering the 45 to 59 range.[2] That looks like even spacing. But the visual territory each shade has to cover gets wider as the numbers get higher. Five shades sit between 15 and 29, five between 29 and 43, and five between 43 and 59.[2] The same number of shades is doing more work on the deeper end.
The undertone distribution matters more than the count. Only one cool shade exists: 15C, the lightest in the range.[2] If you are medium-depth and cool-toned, there is no labeled match. The ten neutral shades spread from 17N up to 59N, which is the strongest coverage in the lineup.
Two practical points. First, coverage here is buildable up to medium, not full.[2] A near-miss on shade matching is more forgiving in a sheer formula than in a full-coverage foundation. Second, these are tints on top of a zinc oxide base, not pure pigment. The mineral base adds a shared undertone to every shade that doesn’t show up in the shade number or letter. Whether that shared base looks white, gray, or neutral on your skin depends on your depth and tone, and no chart predicts it.
Is this the dayscreen for you?
Try it if you want mineral UV protection with shade-matched color in one step, especially if your undertone is neutral. The iron oxide content adds a potential visible-light benefit that most tinted sunscreens cannot verify. Look up the current price on Amazon.
Choose differently if you need a cool undertone in medium or deeper shades, if you avoid alcohol denat, or if you prefer organic UV filters with a higher SPF. BOJ’s own Relief Sun or Stay Fresh products cover those last two needs with the same brand. For a full comparison, our tinted sunscreen guide lines up six Korean options side by side.
FAQ
How many shades does the Beauty of Joseon tinted sunscreen come in?
The brand’s website lists 15 shades from 15C (very fair, cool) to 59N (deepest, neutral), spanning cool, neutral, and warm undertones. Ten of the 15 are neutral, four are warm, and one is cool.
Is the Beauty of Joseon Tinted Mineral Dayscreen fragrance free?
The ingredient database tags it as fragrance and essential oil free, and no fragrance or perfume appears in the visible ingredient list. It does contain alcohol denat at position nine, which is a different concern from fragrance.
Does this tinted sunscreen contain iron oxides?
Yes. All three iron oxide CI codes appear in the ingredient list: CI 77492 (yellow) at position 24, CI 77491 (red) at 28, and CI 77499 (black) at 29. Iron oxides are the pigments most studied for visible-light protection, but this product does not disclose the iron oxide percentage.
Sources
Method, so you can check us. Source [1] is the product ingredient list read directly from the ingredient database. Source [2] is the brand’s own product page. Source [3] is a third-party retailer listing. Sources [4] and [5] are prior pieces in our own archive, cited to avoid repeating the ingredient analysis they already contain. Sources [6] and [7] are peer-reviewed studies accessed through PubMed. Source [8] is a published product review. All accessed August 2026.
- Beauty of Joseon Daily Tinted Fluid Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF30 Pa +++, ingredient list, INCIDecoder (formerly incidecoder.com). Read directly. 38 total ingredients, 33 visible on the page. Zinc oxide at position 1, tagged as the only UV filter. Iron oxides at positions 24 (CI 77492), 28 (CI 77491), 29 (CI 77499). Alcohol Denat at position 9. Tagged fragrance and essential oil free. No organic UV filters in the visible ingredient list. Butyloctyl salicylate at position 3, classified as solvent. link
- Beauty of Joseon, Tinted Mineral Dayscreen SPF 30, product page. 15 shades listed (15C, 17N, 21W, 23N, 25W, 29N, 33N, 35N, 39W, 43W, 45N, 47N, 51N, 54N, 59N). Price $20, volume 40 mL / 1.35 fl oz. Active Ingredients listed as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. Marketing claims include up to 12-hour base coverage, non-comedogenic, hypoallergenic. Marketed ingredients: Fermented Brown Rice, Ceramide. link
- Beauty of Joseon Daily Tinted Fluid Sunscreen, Amazon product listing, ASIN B0DP61XHJG. Lists product as 12 shades, Broad Spectrum SPF 40, 50 mL. These specifications differ from the brand’s own site (15 shades, SPF 30, 40 mL). link
- Seoullit, “Best Korean Tinted Sunscreens: What the Shade Actually Buys You.” Reviewed six Korean tinted sunscreens including BOJ Stay Fresh Green and Purple. Found two of six contained iron oxides. BOJ Stay Fresh products used four organic UV filters with no iron oxides. Numbuzin offered the only second shade option among the six picks. link
- Seoullit, “Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Ingredients: The Rice Checks Out, the Ferments End the List.” Ingredient review of Relief Sun (Rice + Probiotics SPF 50+ PA++++). Four organic UV filters at positions 5, 7, 9, 12. No zinc oxide, no titanium dioxide, 41 total ingredients. link
- Bardhi R, Mokhtari M, Masood M, et al. Subjective and objective assessment of color match of universal tinted sunscreens in Fitzpatrick skin phototypes I-VI. Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed. 2024;40(5):e12992. PMID 39074312. At 2 mg/cm², 2 of 7 products matched SPT I-II, 6 of 7 matched SPT III-IV, 1 of 7 matched SPT V-VI. Tested on arms, not faces. Products were not Korean brands. link
- Doan V, Rustad AM, Akuamoah J, Sulejmani P, Tran JM, Krueger L. Iron Oxides in Tinted Sunscreen for Hyperpigmentation: A Product Analysis and Literature Review. J Drugs Dermatol. 2026;25(5):440-443. PMID 42081626. 37 tinted sunscreens analyzed. 97.3% did not list iron oxide as an active ingredient. Only 9.6% of responding brands disclosed the iron oxide percentage (range: less than 1.4% to 10.4%). link
- Stout, Emma. “Beauty of Joseon Tinted Mineral Dayscreen Review.” Bustle. Reviewer tested shade 33N on acne-prone, sensitive, oily-T-zone skin. Rating: 4/5. Applied with damp beauty sponge. Tested over one week. Source for verbatim quotes on application, coverage, oil control, and reapplication trade-off. link
Topics: Beauty of Joseon · Ingredient Lists · PA / UVA Rating · Tinted Sunscreen · Where to Buy · All topics
