Beauty of Joseon Sunscreen Showdown: Relief Sun vs. Aqua Fresh!

So many of you have been asking about the Beauty of Joseon sunscreens, specifically the Relief Sun and the Aqua Fresh Sunscreen. Which one is the ultimate champion? Which one is the perfect match for your skin? I've been rigorously testing both side-by-side, and I'm thrilled to share my in-depth findings to help you make the most informed choice. Let's dive into this sunscreen showdown!

Before we get into the nitty-gritty details of my wear test, let's establish a baseline understanding of each sunscreen's core characteristics.

As the saying goes, seeing is believing. So, let's conduct a quick hand swatch comparison. I've applied the Relief Sun on one side of my hand and the Aqua Fresh on the other.

Here's a side-by-side glimpse of the two sunscreens freshly applied. Now, I'm going to spread them both out evenly and allow them to air dry to observe how they settle into the skin.

After air drying, the Aqua Fresh has practically vanished into my skin. There's no discernible trace or residue. The Relief Sun, however, remains visible, and the white cast is undeniably noticeable. Even with additional blending, the cast persists. This initial observation provides a strong indication of how they might perform on the face.

For this comprehensive test, I've thoroughly cleansed my face and applied only lip balm. No other skincare products have been used underneath. I'll be applying the Aqua Fresh on one half of my face and the Relief Sun on the other. I've pre-dispensed equal amounts of each sunscreen to ensure a fair comparison. However, in your daily routine, remember to use a generous amount, approximately a coin-sized dollop, for adequate sun protection.

First up is the Aqua Fresh. It spreads effortlessly and absorbs rapidly, leaving a smooth, almost invisible finish. Now, I'm going to cleanse my hands and apply the Relief Sun to the other side of my face. Here we go… Whoa! That felt like a substantial amount of product. I hope it doesn't migrate into my eyes… Okay, it's blended in. Just a minor adjustment needed around the delicate eye area.

Now, we wait. It's currently 1:06 PM. I'm going to allow both sunscreens to settle for a few minutes before touching them.

Alright, a few minutes have passed. I'm going to gently pat the Aqua Fresh side with my finger… Oops! It's peeling! I just lightly pulled, and… yep, you can clearly see that. Keep in mind that you might encounter peeling with this particular sunscreen. Now, let's try tapping the Relief Sun side. Even with gentle tapping, the sunscreen doesn't seem to budge. The white cast remains prominent.

This peeling situation with the Aqua Fresh isn't ideal. I'm going to wash my face and reapply both sunscreens. This time, I'll use a smaller amount of the Aqua Fresh to see if that mitigates the peeling issue.

My face is clean, with only lip balm applied. I'm applying the Aqua Fresh again, but with a lighter hand this time. This application feels more realistic in terms of everyday use. The time is 1:33 PM. I'm going to give it 15 minutes to absorb fully before I touch it.

Fifteen minutes have elapsed! Here's what my face looks like. You can see the Aqua Fresh side and the Relief Sun side. Now, I'm going to gently tap both sides with my fingers. Let's check my palms… There's a slight shine on both, but the Relief Sun side is definitely shinier than the Aqua Fresh side.

You might be wondering why I'm opting for tapping instead of blending. I want to avoid over-blending the sunscreen and potentially compromising its protective efficacy. Now, for the peeling test… I'm going to swipe my finger across the Aqua Fresh side… and… yep, it's still peeling. So, if I hadn't swiped and simply tapped, perhaps it wouldn't have peeled. It's definitely something to keep in mind. The Relief Sun side, on the other hand, shows no signs of peeling.

Let's discuss the finish of each sunscreen. The Aqua Fresh side falls somewhere between a natural, skin-like finish and semi-matte. The Relief Sun side, as anticipated, has a more moisturizing finish, imparting a subtle glow. If I tap my skin, the shine is undeniably more pronounced on the Relief Sun side.

Now, let's delve into the sunscreen filters. The Aqua Fresh contains a combination of chemical filters, including Uvenal T150, Meg Zero XL, Meg Zero SX, Uvenal A+, and Tinosorb S. The Relief Sun also utilizes a blend of chemical filters, featuring Uvenal A+, Uvenal T150, Tinosorb M, and Uvenal HEP. The Tinosorb M is likely the primary contributor to the white cast observed with the Relief Sun.

Beyond the filters, the Aqua Fresh incorporates other noteworthy ingredients like rice water, panthenol, and glycerin, known for their hydrating and soothing properties. The Relief Sun boasts a richer blend of skincare ingredients, including rice extract, niacinamide (a powerful antioxidant and brightening agent), green tea, glycerin, and ginseng root extract.

Both sunscreens are marketed as fragrance-free, alcohol-free, and essential oil-free. However, to my nose, the Aqua Fresh has a faint plastic-y, plant-like scent. The Relief Sun also possesses a similar scent, but it leans more towards the plant-like side.

In terms of eye stinging and peeling, I didn't experience any eye stinging with the Aqua Fresh, but peeling is a definite possibility, as demonstrated in my test. The Relief Sun, while having the potential to sting the eyes (though I didn't experience it personally), didn't exhibit any peeling.

I've been wearing both sunscreens for over three hours now. Let's assess how they're holding up. The Aqua Fresh is still exhibiting some slight peeling in certain areas, but the shine is primarily concentrated around my forehead and cheeks. The Relief Sun side is noticeably shinier overall, particularly on my forehead and cheeks. Which side appears more matte to you? From a distance, they look relatively similar, but upon closer inspection, the Aqua Fresh side is definitely more matte.

Both the Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun and the Aqua Fresh Sunscreen offer valuable sun protection and can be used by various skin types. The key differences lie in their finish, ingredients, and potential for peeling or eye stinging. The Relief Sun provides a moisturizing, glowy finish but leaves a white cast, while the Aqua Fresh offers a more skin-like to semi-matte finish but may peel, especially when applied over bare skin. The Relief Sun also contains niacinamide, which can be a beneficial ingredient for some skin concerns.

Both sunscreens are easy to remove with water or a regular cleanser, eliminating the need for double cleansing.

It's important to note that this test was conducted on bare skin. Had I applied my usual skincare routine of toner, serum, and moisturizer beforehand, I'm confident the results, particularly regarding the peeling with the Aqua Fresh, would have been different.

I hope this comprehensive comparison has answered your questions and provided valuable insights into these two popular Korean sunscreens. If you have any further inquiries, please don't hesitate to leave them in the comments below. I'll be comparing these to the COSRX and House of Her sunscreens soon, so stay tuned for more sunscreen showdowns!