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Beauty of Joseon is a Korean skincare brand, operated by Goodai Global, that builds its formulas around ingredients from traditional Korean skincare: rice, ginseng, propolis, green plum, red bean and mugwort. Its best-known product is Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics SPF50+ PA++++, a sunscreen the brand's maker says topped Amazon US sunscreen sales on Black Friday from 2021 to 2023. Start with Relief Sun; add the Glow Serum or Ginseng Essence Water.
Beauty of Joseon is the Korean brand whose sunscreen, by its maker's account, led Amazon US sunscreen sales on three Black Fridays running. The rest of the range follows the same idea, a Joseon-era ingredient in a modern, lightweight formula, and it is small enough to learn in one sitting: 31 products in our shop, grouped below by what they are for. For the sunscreen rules themselves (SPF, PA++++, how much to apply) read Korean Sunscreen: Why It Feels Different first.
At Daebak, a Seoul-based Korean culture and product company, product descriptions come from Beauty of Joseon's product pages, and the company facts from the sources listed at the end. We describe what products are marketed for, not what they will do for you. Beauty of Joseon products in our shop are shipped by the brand.
The brand in brief
The Korea Herald reported in October 2026 that Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics was developed by Kolmar Korea, the manufacturer behind much of Korea's sun care, for Goodai Global's brand, and that, according to the two companies, it ranked first in Amazon US's sunscreen category during Black Friday in 2021, 2022 and 2023; Kolmar and Goodai's partnership products passed 100 million cumulative units in March 2026. A month earlier the Herald covered TikTok Shop UK's first K-beauty showcase, where Beauty of Joseon posted its best single-day sales of the year, four times its 2026 average through August, and noted the brand is stocked in more than 2,000 UK stores including Boots, Superdrug, Marks & Spencer and Space NK.
The company behind it is a marketing and distribution group rather than a manufacturer. KED Global reported in July 2025 that Goodai Global, founded in 2016, has been acquiring Korean indie brands since 2019 on a model benchmarked to L'Oréal, with a portfolio that includes Beauty of Joseon, TIRTIR and Laka, and that investors valued it at 4 trillion won that summer. One practical note: the Korea Times reported in August 2026 that filters common in Korean sunscreens, such as Uvinul A Plus and Tinosorb M, still cannot be sold in the United States, and the Herald describes Kolmar's job as turning brand concepts into formulas for different markets. If a specific filter matters to you, check the ingredient list on the listing you buy.
Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics, the product to start with. See details.
The range, by what it is for
Which product first
- A sunscreen. Normal or dry skin: Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics, with 30 percent rice extract and fermented grain extracts, described as silky, fast-absorbing and without a white cast. Oily or combination skin: Relief Sun Aqua-fresh Rice + B5, the lighter, fresher version. A dewy finish: Ginseng Moist Sun Serum. For reapplying over makeup, the Matte Sun Stick. If you want tint, the Daily Tinted Fluid Sunscreen is sheer and rated PA+++, while the Tinted Mineral Dayscreen comes in six shades with mineral filters.
- Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide. The serum to add second: propolis extract, niacinamide and betaine salicylate, marketed for refining the look of pores, balancing oil and a "glass skin" glow. What niacinamide does on a label is in Niacinamide in Korean Skincare.
- Ginseng Essence Water. A light, hydrating first layer with ginseng root water and niacinamide, used after cleansing. If your skin is dry or dull, the Glow Replenishing Rice Milk is the richer, two-layer alternative; shake it before use.
- A moisturizer. Dynasty Cream (rice bran water, ginseng root water, squalane, niacinamide) for dry or normal skin; Red Bean Water Gel for oily or combination skin.
Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide, the usual second purchase. See details.
A routine by skin type
| Skin | Morning | Evening |
|---|---|---|
| Dry or dull | Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser, Glow Replenishing Rice Milk, Glow Deep Serum, Dynasty Cream, Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics | Radiance Cleansing Balm, Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser, Ginseng Essence Water, Revive Serum: Ginseng + Snail Mucin, Dynasty Cream |
| Oily or combination | Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser, Ginseng Essence Water, Glow Serum, Red Bean Water Gel, Relief Sun Aqua-fresh | Ginseng Cleansing Oil, Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser, Green Plum AHA BHA Toner (a few nights a week), Pore Firming Serum, Red Bean Water Gel; Red Bean Refreshing Pore Mask weekly |
| Sensitive | Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser, Ginseng Essence Water, Dynasty Cream, Tinted Mineral Dayscreen or Relief Sun | Radiance Cleansing Balm, Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser, Ginseng Essence Water, Dynasty Cream; Centella Asiatica Calming Mask weekly |
| First signs of aging | Ginseng Essence Water, Light On Serum, Dynasty Cream, Ginseng Moist Sun Serum | Ginseng Cleansing Oil, Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser, Revive Serum, Revive Eye Cream: Ginseng + Retinal, Dynasty Cream |
A note on the ingredients. Rice, ginseng, mugwort, green plum and red bean are described on the product pages as drawn from traditional Korean skincare, and that is the brand's story more than a claim about results; the benefits listed on each page are what the product is marketed for. Snail mucin, in the Revive Serum, is animal-derived; see Snail Mucin in Korean Skincare. Retinal, in the eye cream and patches, is a vitamin A derivative best introduced slowly; Retinol vs Bakuchiol explains the family. The double-cleansing pairs above follow the usual Korean order: oil or balm first, water-based cleanser second.
Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Essence Water, the first layer after cleansing. See details.
How Beauty of Joseon compares
Among the Korean brands that reached the West through one product, Beauty of Joseon is the sunscreen one, the way COSRX is the snail one and Anua the heartleaf one. Round Lab is its closest rival in sun care; our Round Lab guide covers the Birch Juice sunscreen, and the COSRX guide and Anua guide cover the others. The wider map is in Best K-Beauty Brands.
Brand products in our shop are shipped by the brands. If you would rather try a set of Korean skincare chosen for you each season, the Daebak K-Beauty Box is a separate, curated option.
FAQ
What is Beauty of Joseon known for?
Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics SPF50+ PA++++, which its maker Kolmar Korea and Goodai Global say ranked first in Amazon US's sunscreen category on Black Friday from 2021 to 2023, according to the Korea Herald. The Glow Serum and Dynasty Cream are the other names most people know.
Which Beauty of Joseon sunscreen should I choose?
Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics for normal or dry skin, Relief Sun Aqua-fresh for oily skin, Ginseng Moist Sun Serum for a dewy finish, the Matte Sun Stick for reapplying, and the Tinted Mineral Dayscreen if you prefer mineral filters or a tint.
Which product should I start with?
A Relief Sun sunscreen, then the Glow Serum, then Ginseng Essence Water and a moisturizer.
Who owns Beauty of Joseon?
Goodai Global, a Korean company that KED Global reports was founded in 2016 and has been acquiring indie Korean brands since 2019; TIRTIR and Laka are in the same portfolio.
Is Beauty of Joseon sold in the UK?
Yes. The Korea Herald reported in September 2026 that the brand is carried in more than 2,000 UK stores, including Boots, Superdrug, Marks & Spencer and Space NK. Our shop lists the brand's products shipped by the brand.
Sources
- Korean sunscreens go global as Kolmar-Goodai sales hit 100m (The Korea Herald, October 2026)
- Beauty of Joseon dazzles UK TikTok (The Korea Herald, September 2026)
- IMM joins $600 mn fund for K-beauty unicorn Goodai Global in M&A drive (KED Global, July 2025)
- US finally approves new UV filter: can it catch up with K-beauty? (The Korea Times, August 2026)
