I know that the year just started and I’m already singing the praises of a sunscreen. I’ve been actively testing out sunscreens for more than 4 years now. I couldn’t tell you how many sunscreens I’ve gone through but I can immediately tell when sunscreens would work with my skin type. This is the best one I’ve tried.
The Best Sunscreen for Oily Skin
Round Lab Birch Juice Moisturizing Sunscreen
Before we talk about my current favorite, I have to give the Round Lab sunscreen its well-deserved flowers. I’ve emptied this sunscreen approximately four times now. I don’t intend on stopping repurchasing this sunscreen either. The Birch Juice Moisturizing Sunscreen has been a solid sunscreen formula for years now. My yearly roundups have included this sunscreen since 2022.
I still remember the first time I found out about this sunscreen. I was browsing through Tiktok (as one does) and someone was talking about how the viral Beauty of Joseon sunscreen wasn’t the sunscreen getting all the hype in Korea, instead she said that the Round Lab sunscreen was the one to try.
PROS: It doesn’t make me oily. The product absorbs into the skin beautifully. It has no white cast, even with reapplication. It doesn’t sting my eyes.
CONS: I go through these quite frequently, I wish they had a bigger tube for us repeat offenders. No other notes though.
Available for approx $18-22 at Stylevana and StyleKorean. (I would recommend purchasing Korean sunscreens from these retailers since the US markets have been causing reformulations for certain products to be allowed in American markets like Amazon.)
Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Aqua-Fresh Rice + b5
She is definitely the moment. The Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Aqua-Fresh Rice + B5 Sunscreen is the best sunscreen for my finicky oily skin. The formula is super lightweight, absorbs into the skin in literal seconds. It doesn’t make me oily or break out either.
Here’s the thing, I actually do love the original Beauty of Joseon sunscreen. I have emptied at least five tubes of it. I would repurchase the original as well, they typically have great deals on Stylevana. In comparison to the original, the Aqua-Fresh version is the one formulated for oily to combination skin.
First impressions: I was surprised how lightweight this was. It absorbed so beautifully into the skin. It didn’t sting my eyes (so far) and I’m not projecting that it would. I can typically tell a couple days into testing out a product.
Available for approx $18 at Stylevana.
Last Thoughts
I am excited to find such a great sunscreen so early on in the year. I’ll report back if my experience changes. So far it is looking pretty solid though. There is something so satisfying about Korean skincare, I swear they are lightyears ahead of the ones that are readily available here. Lately there has been some Korean skincare brands getting acquired by big names like L’Oreal, so there may just be some hope for improvement.
What’s your favorite sunscreen? I’m always curious to try out new ones. I might even find a better contender for the best sunscreen of 2025.
