BEAUTY OF JOSEON DAILY TINTED FLUID SUNSCREEN SPF 30 PRODUCT REVIEW - Why do dermatologists recommend tinted sunscreen? Is Beauty of Joseon tinted sunscreen good?
One of my favorite new facial sunscreens of the year is the Beauty of Joseon Daily Tinted Fluid Sunscreen SPF 30. It’s got an amazingly light milky texture that spreads over your skin like a face serum. The Korean mineral sunscreen reminds me of that icon of J-beauty, the Skin Aqua Super Moisture UV Milk – but with a tint and all- mineral filters.
I first came across the super popular mineral sunscreen in my work as a product innovation judge in the 2025 Beauty Matter awards.
In fact, the viral TikTok sensation took the award for Best Breakthrough Hybrid Product – which “recognizes innovation in a finished hybrid product (any product that is multifunctional or combines efficacies from multiple product categories) related to either formulation, delivery system, new format, use of technology, or claims.”
My detailed review of the Beauty of Joseon Daily Tinted Fluid Sunscreen SPF 30 is just below…
Key Takeaways:
Beauty of Joseon’s Daily Tinted Fluid Sunscreen is one of a wave of new tinted mineral sunscreens that overcome the concern that sunscreens feel uncomfortable on the skin.
Tinted mineral sunscreens with iron oxides offer superior protection from a broader range of damaging light – including visible light (e.g. blue light/HEV light).
Dermatologists recommend tinted sunscreens with iron oxides to help prevent photodamage, the leading cause of skin aging.
Beyond its exceptionally light texture, the Beauty of Joseon Daily Tinted Fluid Sunscreen offers the benefits of a tinted mineral sunscreen – including the superior protection against visible light that iron oxides offer.
On a recent episode of the Skincarma Pod titled, Questions I’ve Always Wanted to Ask a Derm with Board Certified Dermatologist Dr. Jen Haley, I asked Dr. Jen for her advice on tinted sunscreens.
“I've always recommended mineral sunscreens because they do not penetrate or absorb into the skin, unlike chemical sunscreens. The issue is that they have traditionally left a white cast on the skin, which is especially undesirable for anyone with skin of color. Tinted mineral sunscreens add iron oxides and are now available in more shades than ever before. These tinted mineral sunscreens often offer enough coverage so that you can skip foundation or other coverup.
“Additionally, they protect against both UV radiation (with zinc oxide) and blue light (with black iron oxides) in our indoor environment that contributes to skin hyperpigmentation, making them the last step I recommend in a morning skin care routine.”
THE BEST SUNSCREENS FOR FACE
Before I get into my Beauty of Joseon Daily Tinted Fluid Sunscreen SPF 30 product review below, I wanted to explore the benefits of tinted sunscreens and, in particular, tinted mineral sunscreens with iron oxides.
1. Why do dermatologists recommend tinted sunscreen?
There are multiple benefits of tinted sunscreen that make them a better option for daily protection against photodamage – the leading cause of signs of skin aging. In fact, according to The Skin Cancer Foundation, up to 90% of the visible signs of aging is due to the photoaging that results from unprotected sun exposure.
Dermatologists recommend tinted mineral sunscreens because they combine the mineral UV filter Zinc Oxide with iron oxides, offering the best protection against photodamage – including damage from both ultraviolet (UV) rays and visible light (blue light/HEV light).
Unlike standard sunscreens, tinted sunscreens contain mineral pigments like iron oxides to block both visible light and UV light (UVA and UVB).
Visible light, including blue light from computer and phone screens, is known to worsen pigmentary conditions like melasma and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
People with conditions such as hyperpigmentation and melasma benefit significantly from visible light protection, since both UV and visible light aggravate pigmentation disorders.
Studies have shown that tinted sunscreens reduce relapses of melasma and improve skin discoloration more effectively than conventional sunscreens.
Dermatologists prefer tinted sunscreens like the Beauty of Joseon Daily Tinted Fluid Sunscreen SPF 30 and Ultra Violette Future Screen SPF 50 Mineral Sunscreen because they offer broader defense from photoaging compared to regular facial sunscreens, especially for individuals prone to hyperpigmentation and melasma – and those with darker skin tones.
Explore my picks of the best sunscreens for face on the blog here.
Sources: NPR - Tinted sunscreen does something regular sun protection can’t; American Academy of Dermatology - The latest in sun protection
2. Is Beauty of Joseon tinted sunscreen good?
Yes, the Beauty of Joseon Daily Tinted Fluid Sunscreen SPF 30 is good – and it’s one of the most pleasurable facial sunscreens I’ve ever come across. This is particularly noteworthy as most tinted mineral sunscreens can feel heavy on your face. In fact, the top reason consumers give for not wearing sunscreen daily is that they feel uncomfortable on the skin.
The Beauty of Joseon Daily Tinted Fluid has the texture of a lightweight milk but with a skin tone-matching tint that makes it more suited for your complexion.
The formula is available in 12 shades to more closely match your personal skin tone.
Reddit reviews seem to support its ability to wear well with makeup.
One Redditer reported, “It even wears well under makeup, lending a radiant glow to your base, with a few powders needed for the result to last all day.”
The most common concern is that it is “only an SPF 30.” This derives from an unfortunate, often perpetuated falsehood about the level of UV rays that various SPF levels provide. In fact, there is only a 1% difference in the level of UVB protection (what SPF measures) between sunscreens with an SPF 30 and an SPF 50 (see chart below).
Explore my picks of the best sunscreens for face on the blog here.
Sources: Reddit - Best & Worst of Beauty of Joseon; Reddit - beauty of joseon daily tinted fluid sunscreen review; Marie Claire - Why Korean Sunscreens Set the Gold Standard, According to the Experts
3. Why are iron oxides important in sunscreen?
All well-formulated facial sunscreens – whether chemical, mineral or tinted mineral sunscreens – offer protection against the sun’s damaging UV rays, also known as photodamage – the leading cause of signs of skin aging.
But, tinted mineral sunscreens contain an additional active that untinted sunscreens do not: iron oxides. Iron oxides allow the formula to shield your skin from visible light (including blue light/HEV light) – in addition to the protection from UV light that Zinc Oxide provides.
Iron oxides protect from visible light, especially blue light from our devices, that can penetrate deeper into the skin.
Visible light is known to trigger or worsen hyperpigmentation, melasma, and other pigmentary disorders, particularly in individuals with medium to dark skin tones.
Research shows that tinted mineral sunscreens with iron oxides can reduce blue light exposure by up to 86%, offering significant additional protection beyond UV filters alone.
Explore my picks of the best sunscreens for face on the blog here.
Sources: Clinic Advisor - Tinted Sunscreen vs. Regular Sunscreen: Which Is Right for You?; La Roche-Posay - TINTED VS UNTINTED SUNSCREEN
4. What are iron oxides in sunscreen?
Iron oxides in sunscreen are simply mineral pigments – compounds of iron and oxygen – that add an additional layer of protection to a facial sunscreen. They are commonly found in tinted sunscreens and makeup as natural colorants, giving products a range of skin-tone adapting shades that can help to eliminate the white cast often associated with mineral sunscreens.
Iron oxides help protect skin from damage resulting from high-energy visible (HEV) blue light, which common UV filters like Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide do not block effectively.
When combined with mineral UV filters, iron oxides can fill the “protection gap” in the visible light spectrum, offering broader defense against various types of light damage, including hyperpigmentation.
Research shows that tinted mineral sunscreens with iron oxides can reduce the effects of blue light exposure by up to 86%, offering significant additional protection beyond UV filters alone.
Sources: NIH, PubMed Central - Iron oxides in novel skin care formulations attenuate blue light for enhanced protection against skin damage; Dermatology Times - UVA Protection With Zinc Oxide and Iron Oxide: Novel Options for All Skin Tones
5. Product Review
I first came across the Beauty of Joseon brand in TikTok videos on my feed about a year ago. When I tell you the FOMO was real, I mean the FOMO was real. I craved the feeling of its light, milky texture over my skin – pure sunscreen vibes.
Through the iPhone screen, that velvety smooth liquid reminded me of two of my favorite facial sunscreen milks – the Paula’s Choice Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50 Sunscreen and Skin Aqua’s iconic Super Moisture UV Milk.
But unlike those two superstar summer sunscreens, Beauty of Joseon’s Daily Tinted Fluid Sunscreen is an all-mineral sunscreen formulated with Zinc Oxide and iron oxides – which give the 12 shades their skin-tone matching tint. And the formula delivers solid protection with an SPF 30 and PA rating of +++.
Unlike just about every tinted mineral sunscreen with iron oxides, the Beauty of Joseon Daily Tinted Fluid Sunscreen feels like nothing on my skin – and I have test-driven it on a hot AF summer day and in cooler fall-like conditions.
It layers well over my skin care routine after both light gel-creams and richer moisturizers – it really blends in nicely. That’s a big deal for me as I don’t want to look like I’m wearing makeup! Often, iron oxide sunscreens dye my beard a corny shade of orange-ish brown and this one doesn’t have that same downside effect. I estimated that the tint that best matched my tone of the 12 was LN110 and I apparently nailed it!
As for whether it wears well with makeup, it would appear that it does – Reddit reviews seem to support this. One Redditer reported, “It even wears well under makeup, lending a radiant glow to your base, with a few powders needed for the result to last all day.”
Beauty of Joseon Daily Tinted Fluid Sunscreen SPF 30 is a straight-up layering sunscreen – nothing more. There are no added moisturizers, no humectants, no antioxidants of any significance – no brightening Niacinamide or potent protective extracts.
Except for one: Artemisia Capillaris Extract. The inclusion of this single botanical extract is seemingly a nod to the brand’s embrace of Korean Hanbang ingredients – the backbone of traditional Korean medicine. But it’s of so little significance that it’s just there to be there.
The Beauty of Joseon Daily Tinted Fluid Sunscreen is a perfect mineral sunscreen and it doesn’t need to be anything more than that. And for just about $20, you can’t go wrong (unless you mismatch your shade!).
6. Pros & Cons
What I like about it: The Beauty of Joseon Daily Tinted Fluid Sunscreen SPF 30 is a perfect tinted mineral sunscreen that layers very well over your skincare routine. I like the finish – neither too matte nor too oily. And it doesn’t dye my beard. Plus, it feels like nothing on your face.
What I don’t like about it: As always, I would love some additional antioxidant protection – and especially some Niacinamide. But it’s $20 for a reason.
Who it’s for: All skin types, even very oily.
SHOP THE BLOG: Want to try it for yourself? Purchase the Beauty of Joseon Daily Tinted Fluid Sunscreen SPF 30 for $20 here.
FIND OUT WHICH SERUM PERFORMED BETTER – AND BY HOW MUCH!
The Ingredient List of the Beauty of Joseon Daily Tinted Fluid Sunscreen SPF 30:
sunsc 0 1, Aqua solv, Butyloctyl Salicylate solv, Isopropyl Myristate emo|perf 3 3-5, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate emo, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride emo, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate emo, Ethylhexyl Isononanoate emo, Alcohol Denat 
amic|solv|vc, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate emu|vc, Butylene Glycol h|solv 0 1, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate emo|amic, Propanediol solv|h, Silica vc, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Stearic Acid emo|vc 0 2-3, Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebacate emu|surf, Stearalkonium Hectorite vc, Undecane emo, 1,2-Hexanediol solv, Polyglyceryl-6 Polyhydroxystearate emu, Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate emu, Hydroxyacetophenone aox|pres, Ci 77492 col 0 0, Tridecane perf, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables emo, Polyglycerin-6 h, Ci 77491 col 0 0, Ci 77499 col 0 0, Artemisia Capillaris Extract, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate emo|emu, Tocopherol aox 0-3 0-3, Ascorbyl Palmitate aox 0 2
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