When Korean skincare became widespread, it significantly rocked our beauty routines. The 12 steps often praised by K-beauty’s beauticians, brands, and influencers have made us rethink self-care and wellness, with an increased focus on gentle, effective, and hydrating ingredients that can help your skin achieve that revered glow. Sun care is especially key to the regimen, not only in your daily SPF (sun protection factor), but as a component of many other high-performance skin care products.
“From the age of young children, Koreans (and especially women) are taught that caring for their skin is part of caring for themselves,” Peach & Lily founder and beautician Alicia Yoon told Coveteur. “Aesthetics are important, but it’s more about making sure your organs are healthy: We are being taught how to care for our skin while being taught to brush our teeth properly.” She emphasizes that K-beauty devotees are taught to use SPF from an early age and bring that sensitivity into adulthood. That mindset contrasts with the U.S., where the conversation about sunscreen practices is changing, albeit slowly. In fact, according to a 2013 CDC study, less than 15 percent of men and 30 percent of women regularly wear sunscreen on their face and body when they are outside for more than an hour. Yoon says, “In Korea, it’s more of a ‘of course I wear sunscreen’ mentality. It is ingrained, and there is an awareness that sunscreen is such an important part of your health and taking care of yourself. “
SOKO Glam founder Charlotte Cho considers sunscreen the last and arguably the most important step in K beauty’s multi-step skincare routine. “Sun damage is the leading cause of premature aging, like fine lines and dark spots, and it can reap the benefits of being skin savvy at any age, especially when it comes to protecting yourself from skin cancer.”
SPF Filters in the USA
The types of sunscreen filters, the ingredients that block or absorb UVA and UVB rays, vary greatly in Asia and Europe. Internationally, there are more than 30 in total, compared to just 16 SPF filters approved in the US, the last of which was approved in 1999. Of the 16 approved in the United States, only half are used. regularly (the remaining eight have been shown to cause skin irritation), and only two provide protection against UVA rays: titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. The other six include avobenzone, homosalate, octinoxate, octisalate, octocrylene, oxybenzone.
This 21-year gap in filter innovation has been detected with different legislative efforts over the last decade to evaluate the effectiveness of the sunscreen products on the market. But the lack of FDA resources and even President Obama’s attempt to encourage new over-the-counter options with the 2014 passage of the Sun Protection Innovation Act has done little in the way of materially new product options.
International formulations
Comparatively, international SPF filters are much lighter and feel better on the skin, and brands pay more attention to the aesthetics of their formulations as well as their effectiveness. “I encourage a lot of people to try Asian filters,” says Yoon. “People tell us that they don’t even feel like SPF. It is an obstacle in the United States because having something heavier with a [white] Hand out that you don’t like the turns they use and reapply SPF on a task. Someday, I hope there will be more filters available in the US because that will allow for more innovation. “
A spokesperson for beauty brand K, Banila Co, adds that the preferred type of sunscreen product differs between American and Korean brands: tubes and cream formulas are very popular in the US UV protection in Makeup is also a key element for your brand in products such as primers, bases, and bases (although most dermatologists will emphasize that you need additional sunscreen even if your makeup contains SPF). It’s not that common in the US that most complexion makeup contains sunscreen, but we’re getting there, especially within the foundation market.
SPF Ratings
The rating systems for American and Asian sunscreens also differ widely. The sun protection factor of a product measures the amount of UV radiation required to cause a sunburn on protected skin versus unprotected skin. Within this ultraviolet radiation, UVA and UVB rays are the most common types of rays that hit us on Earth’s surface. UVA is the deepest penetrator of the skin and leads to premature aging of the skin, while UVB causes sunburn and leads to the formation of skin cancer. However, the FDA does not require that all sunscreens offer broad-spectrum coverage, which means that the product will protect against both UVA and UVB rays.
In Korea, if a product indicates that it has broad spectrum coverage, that means there is protection against UVA and UVB rays. It is also classified with a Japan-developed PA system that measures the amount of UVA protection by the number of plus signs that come after it. “The researchers developed the PA system by converting the PPD (Persistent Pigment Darkening) classification system, which measures UVA rays and how quickly the skin darkens when exposed to these rays,” Cho tells Coveteur. A plus sign equals some UVA protection; two equals a moderate amount; three denotes a large quantity; four is extremely high. However, the PA system is imperfect, as everyone’s skin reacts differently to exposure to UVA rays. That is why the “broad spectrum” label is the best indicator of protection, no matter what continent you are on.
Regulations and developments: Korea vs. USA
Another category of beauty that exists in Korea, but is still rare in the US, is functional cosmetics, which consists of any makeup product that helps lighten and firm your skin and reduce wrinkles, along with protection. Additional SPF. The approval process for these products is rigorous but streamlined so brands can distribute to customers quickly: 60 days for review, with more time for additional reviews and revisions.
Korean brands also prioritize clean formulations as determined by the standards of the Environmental Working Group (EWG). “That has become a gamble,” according to Yoon, despite the fact that it is difficult to make a clean product that protects the skin from UV damage and provides beneficial elements for skin care. “The Rootree Mobitherapy UV Sun Shield that [Peach & Lily] alone [started carrying] it’s a three-way functional cosmetic, which means it has the clinically proven parameters to provide that broad-spectrum SPF coverage, as well as helping with hyperpigmentation and firming. “Yoon is starting to see more multipurpose products like this that have Action-packed formulations feel light and nourishing on the skin, leaving no white tint.
Comparatively, in the United States, many sunscreens were marketed with various claims about levels of protection without FDA approval before 2012, when new guidelines went into effect that established a broad-spectrum test. Products would have to meet these standards before receiving a label indicating broad spectrum protection.
This was followed by the Sun Protection Innovation Act of November 2014, which offered an alternative process for the review of sunscreen active ingredients, and a set of May 2018 policies that ensure sunscreen products really are doing what they say on their labels. Since sunscreens are considered a medication in the US (due to their claims of reducing the risk of skin cancer), a full FDA review can take six to ten months. Saving grace with 2018 enforcement policy is the agency’s guide to brands that create sunscreens, which help streamline the development process.
In terms of clean standards, regulation in the United States is much less stringent than in Asian (and European) countries. The FDA released a more comprehensive list of ingredients that are safe and those that require more research last year, but the additional step that would require all ingredients in a formulation to be evaluated for clean standards has yet to be implemented.
Additional benefits of Korean Sun Care
SPF is just one aspect of proper Korean sun care: Using products that increase skin hydration, add nutrients, and prevent premature aging is also essential, especially after sun exposure. Yoon says: “The heat causes skin irritation and when that happens there may be more transepidermal water loss. Its microclimate also changes because it is inside with its AC blast, and it is drier. Switching from cold air conditioning to outside humidity can be really exhausting on your skin. ” She turns to sheet masks in the summer for this exact purpose, like the classic Peach & Lily Skin Days foil mask, which has refreshing and calming ingredients.
Yoon also focuses heavily on antioxidants in the summer. “SPF without antioxidants: My skin doesn’t feel protected without both,” she says. “There are six types of pollutants that can penetrate the pores of our skin, including UVA and UVB rays, blue lights and environmental pollutants. I massage my face with the Glass Skin Serum in the mornings and afternoons because it has so many antioxidants and calming, brightening and anti-aging ingredients. “
When Yoon thinks about what’s to come for Peach & Lily, and more K-beauty innovations in general, sun care and general protection are a priority. “We are thinking about protecting your skin throughout the day, not just during your routine.” The founder is also dedicating the first class of her new Peach Skincare Academy Mentoring Program to black estheticians and cosmetic students. Hopefully, more programs like this will expand the offerings for black and brown consumers in the K beauty world, because increased sun protection benefits us all.
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