These two are the Korean sunscreens most people abroad end up choosing between, and the honest answer is that they’re built for different skin.
Short version: if your skin runs dry, buy the Round Lab Birch Juice. If your skin runs oily or combination, buy the Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun. Everything below is why.
Prices marked “Seoul” were checked in person at Olive Young in Seoul, September 2026.
Which sunscreen is better for dry skin?
Round Lab Birch Juice Moisturizing Sunscreen. It applies like a lotion rather than a sunscreen, so it sinks into dry, tight skin instead of sitting on top of it. It’s the reason this one has won the Olive Young suncare award four years running — people with dry skin re-buy it because it never becomes a problem.
In my own use here in Seoul, it behaved like a moisturiser that happens to be SPF50+. No warming it between the fingers, no patting it in for a minute.
Which sunscreen is better for oily or combination skin?
Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics. It has a semi-matte finish and a lighter, creamier texture that absorbs without leaving shine, which is what oily and combination skin usually wants from a daily SPF. It’s built around 30% rice extract and fermented grain extracts.
Dry skin can use it, but it won’t feel as cushioning as the Round Lab.
How do they compare side by side?
| Product | Size & SPF | Texture and finish | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round Lab Birch Juice Moisturizing Sunscreen | 50ml · SPF50+ PA++++ | Lotion-like, dewy, no white cast | Dry and dehydrated skin, all seasons | ₩24,500 for 50ml at Olive Young Seoul (Sept 2026); often sold 1+1 |
| Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics | 50ml + 20ml×2 bundle · SPF50+ PA++++ | Creamy, semi-matte, no white cast | Oily, combination and normal skin | ₩13,500 for the 90ml Olive Young bundle (Sept 2026), down from ₩20,000 |
The price gap is bigger than the sticker suggests
Both prices above are verified off the electronic labels, and once you divide them out the comparison changes shape:
| Round Lab Birch Juice | Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun | |
|---|---|---|
| What you pay in Korea | ₩24,500 | ₩13,500 |
| What you get | 50ml | 90ml (50ml tube + two 20ml minis) |
| Per 10ml | ₩4,900 | ₩2,700 |
The Beauty of Joseon is roughly 1.8× cheaper per millilitre on the Korean shelf. That is not a small margin on a product you are supposed to reapply.
Two caveats before you act on it. The 90ml configuration is an Olive Young-exclusive bundle — most export listings sell the bare 50ml tube, so you cannot assume that per-ml figure travels. And the Round Lab is frequently sold 1+1, which halves its per-ml cost when the promotion is running. Both numbers move; the direction does not.
Do either of them leave a white cast?
No — neither leaves a white cast. Both are chemical (organic filter) sunscreens formulated for daily wear under makeup, and casting is the failure mode that makes people quietly abandon a sunscreen in week one. Neither has that problem.
Which one stings sensitive skin?
The Round Lab is the one with a sting risk. People with reactive skin report stinging with it often enough that it’s worth saying plainly, and it’s the single reason not to hand it to someone with sensitive skin without a warning. It’s not universal, and there’s no clean explanation for it.
If your skin stings easily, patch test on the inner arm and then beside the nose for two days before committing to a full face. If you’re sensitive and dry, that’s the awkward middle — the texture is what you want, the sting risk isn’t.
What do they actually cost in Korea?
The Round Lab is about ₩24,500 for 50ml at Olive Young in Seoul (verified in-store, September 2026), and it frequently runs as a 1+1 set. That’s the upper end of what Koreans pay for a daily sunscreen — most of the category sits between ₩15,000 and ₩18,000.
You’re not paying that premium for the SPF number, since everything on the shelf is SPF50+ PA++++ anyway. You’re paying for the texture.
The Beauty of Joseon was ₩13,500 on the same trip — but for a 90ml Olive Young-exclusive bundle (a 50ml tube plus two 20ml minis), down from a ₩20,000 list price. That works out to ₩2,700 per 10ml against the Round Lab’s ₩4,900.
One thing to check before you compare against an overseas listing: that 90ml bundle is a Korea-only configuration. Export sites generally carry the bare 50ml tube, so the number on a foreign listing is not describing the same package. The full Relief Sun review goes into the three formulations and which one Korea actually shelves.
Which should you buy?
- Dry, dehydrated, or winter skin → Round Lab Birch Juice
- Oily, combination, or humid climate → Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun
- Sensitive skin → start with the Beauty of Joseon, and patch test the Round Lab before trusting it
- You want one for the whole year and you’re dry → Round Lab, which is the one that doesn’t need swapping between seasons
Where to get them:
– 🛒 Round Lab Birch Juice Sunscreen on Amazon
– 🛒 Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun on Amazon
– 🛒 Shop Korean skincare at Jolse — search the product name after landing
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, and we may earn a small commission from other links — at no extra cost to you. Nothing here was gifted or sponsored.
How I put this together
Not a lab test, not a sponsored placement. What is here: both sunscreens photographed on Olive Young shelves in Seoul, the electronic price labels read in person in September 2026, the per-10ml figures calculated from those prices and the pack sizes printed on the boxes, and the award placings taken from Olive Young’s own 2025 awards page rather than from brand marketing. The texture and sting notes come from wearing the Round Lab here and from the pattern of reactions reported by sensitive-skin users; where I have not verified something myself, I have said so.
FAQ
Which is cheaper in Korea, Round Lab or Beauty of Joseon?
Beauty of Joseon, by a wide margin once you account for size. The Round Lab was ₩24,500 for 50ml (₩4,900 per 10ml); the Beauty of Joseon was ₩13,500 for a 90ml Olive Young bundle (₩2,700 per 10ml). The Round Lab’s frequent 1+1 promotion narrows that gap when it is running.
Round Lab vs Beauty of Joseon: which is better?
Neither is better overall. Round Lab Birch Juice suits dry skin because it applies like a lotion; Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun suits oily and combination skin because it dries down semi-matte.
Which Korean sunscreen is better for oily skin?
Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics. Its semi-matte finish and lighter texture handle oil better than the Round Lab, which is built to cushion dry skin.
Does Round Lab Birch Juice sunscreen sting?
It can. People with reactive or sensitive skin report stinging with it fairly regularly. Patch test on the inner arm and beside the nose for two days before using it on the full face.
How much is Round Lab Birch Juice sunscreen in Korea?
About ₩24,500 for 50ml at Olive Young in Seoul as of September 2026, and it’s frequently sold as a 1+1 set. Most of the Korean sunscreen top ten sits between ₩15,000 and ₩18,000.
Do Korean sunscreens leave a white cast?
These two don’t. Both Round Lab Birch Juice and Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun are formulated to absorb without casting, which is why they’re the two most recommended Korean sunscreens for daily wear.
Affiliate disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you buy through them, My Korea Palette may earn a small commission — at no extra cost to you. I only feature products I genuinely rate. Full disclosure.
