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I went to Olive Young for one thing. Toner. I needed toner.
I left two hours later with zero toner and a bag full of sunscreen samples I didn't know existed twenty minutes ago. There was a Pikachu on one of them. I'm not even going to try to explain how that happened.
Here's the thing about Olive Young in summer: the sunscreen section basically swallows the entire store. What was a modest shelf in March is now a full-blown empire stretching across multiple aisles, complete with "TRY ME" testers on every product and promotional displays that genuinely made me stop walking. I saw Teletubbies. On sunscreen. In 2026. And I wasn't mad about it.
I photographed everything, swatched what I could, read every label my Korean could handle, and talked to the staff about what's selling. Here's what stood out — and more importantly, what's actually worth your money.
Medical Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Everyone's skin is unique, and what works for one person may not work for another. If you have specific skin concerns, underlying health conditions, or are experiencing persistent skin issues, please consult with a licensed dermatologist or healthcare professional before starting any new skincare routine. This content does not constitute a diagnosis or treatment recommendation.
Goodal Heartleaf Soothing — The Brand That Brought Teletubbies Back
I need to talk about this display. Goodal partnered with Teletubbies for their summer sun care range, and the result is genuinely one of the most unhinged things I've ever seen in a beauty store. There's a little Tinky Winky figurine sitting next to a tube of SPF 50+ sun cream. A Dipsy next to the mineral filter. I watched a grown woman in a business suit pick up the Laa-Laa one and smile to herself. This is peak Korean marketing and I respect it deeply.
But here's what matters: the products underneath the nostalgia bait are legitimately solid.
Goodal built an entire sun care ecosystem around their Heartleaf (houttuynia cordata) extract — an anti-inflammatory botanical that calms redness and irritation. Instead of giving you one sunscreen and telling you to figure it out, they've segmented by skin type and finish:
- Soothing Cooling Sun Stick (SPF 50+, PA++++) — Stick format for reapplication without touching your face. The one I'd throw in a bag for a day out.
- Soothing Mineral Filter Sun Cream (SPF 50+, PA++++) — The sensitive skin hero. Mineral filters only, for people who break out from chemical sunscreens.
- Soothing Blemish Cover Sun BB (SPF 50+, PA++++, Neutral Beige) — This one's interesting. It's a BB cream and sunscreen in one. Light tinted coverage that evens your skin out while protecting it. I swatched it on the back of my hand and it blended to almost nothing.
- Soothing Moisture Sun Cream (SPF 50+) — The hydrating option. If your skin gets flaky and tight by noon, this is your pick.
- Soothing Tone Up Sun Cream — Brightening finish. That subtle "I woke up like this" glow.
Price at Olive Young: 17,010 won ($12 USD). Most were running 1+1 deals (buy one, get one free). At that price, you're basically getting two sunscreens for $12. That's absurd value.
They also have a Calming sub-line with slightly different variants — Calming Mineral Filter and Calming Tone Up were on the same shelf. Same heartleaf base, different finishes. Goodal is clearly going all-in on owning the "sunscreen for sensitive skin" category, and based on the shelf space Olive Young is giving them, it's working.
Who this is for: Sensitive skin, redness-prone skin, or anyone who just wants a gentle daily SPF that won't cause problems. Also: Teletubbies fans, apparently.
d'Alba UV Essence Waterfull — They Took Over the Whole Wall
d'Alba has always had that "expensive aunt's vanity" energy. Clean white packaging. White truffle as their signature ingredient. Quietly premium without screaming about it.
This summer, they've taken over an entire section of the sunscreen wall. Not a shelf — a section. I counted four different UV Essence Waterfull variants lined up like soldiers:
- UV Essence Waterfull Sun Cream — The original. Lightweight, hydrating, disappears into skin.
- UV Essence Waterfull Tone-Up Sun Cream (SPF 50+, PA++++) — Subtle brightening. Makes your skin look like you've been sleeping 9 hours a night even when you haven't.
- UV Essence Waterfull Cover-Up Sun Cream (SPF 50+, PA++++) — Natural beige tint. Enough coverage to skip foundation on good skin days.
- Premium Vegan version — For the ingredient-conscious crowd. Green packaging, same Waterfull feel.
The "Waterfull" name isn't just marketing. I tested the original on my hand and it genuinely felt like water — that instant-absorb, zero-residue texture that makes you question whether you actually applied anything. In 35-degree Seoul summer, that kind of lightweight finish is the difference between wearing sunscreen and wanting to peel your face off by 2 PM.
Price at Olive Young: 28,810-38,900 won (~$21-28 USD). This is the premium tier on this list — but d'Alba positions themselves there intentionally, and the formulas justify it. Every variant had promotional stickers: "green flash tone-up," "cover correction" — they're really pushing the multi-functional angle.
Who this is for: Normal to dry skin types who want an elegant, premium-feeling daily SPF. People who've read our lazy person's guide to glass skin and want a sunscreen that contributes to the cause.
Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun — The Quiet Legend
No Pikachu. No Teletubbies. No limited edition gimmick. Just a clean bottle with Korean characters and the quiet confidence of a product that knows it's already won.
Beauty of Joseon doesn't need a collaboration. Their sunscreens did the collaborating with dermatologists on Reddit and TikTok creators, and the rest is history. If you've spent any time researching Korean sunscreen, you've already heard of these.
Two Relief Sun variants were on the shelf:
- Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics (SPF 50+, PA++++) — The classic. Rice bran extract for gentle brightening, probiotics for skin barrier support. This is the one that went viral. This is the one your friend told you about. It's still good.
- Relief Sun: Aqua-Fresh Rice + Aloe (SPF 50+, PA++++) — The lighter summer version. More gel-like, more refreshing. The aloe adds a cooling touch that feels incredible when it's hot.
I swatched the Rice + Probiotics tester. Creamy texture, fast absorption, zero stickiness, no pilling. It does that thing where five seconds after you apply it, you genuinely can't tell it's there. That's rare, even in Korean sunscreens.
We did a full deep dive on Beauty of Joseon's Ginseng Sun Serum a while back — their Relief Sun line is different (rice-based instead of ginseng-based) but shares the same philosophy: sunscreen that doubles as skincare.
Price at Olive Young: 13,500-24,440 won (~$10-18 USD). This is where the value equation gets ridiculous. You're getting SPF 50+ PA++++ with genuine skincare ingredients for the price of a mediocre sandwich in Seoul.
Who this is for: Everyone. Literally everyone. If you've never tried Korean sunscreen before and you want one recommendation, it's this. We explained why Korean sunscreens are the best in a previous post — Beauty of Joseon is the product that proves the thesis.
AHC Masters — The One With Pikachu (That's Already Sold Out)
Okay, this is the display that stopped me dead in my tracks.
AHC did a Pokemon collaboration. There's a Pikachu on the front of their Aqua Rich Sun Cream. He's wearing a little hat and holding a Squirtle. On a sun cream. In an Olive Young. I stared at it for longer than I'd like to admit.
And here's the kicker — half the variants were already sold out. The "SOLD OUT" tags on the price labels tell you everything you need to know about how this is going. I watched two people reach for the Aqua Rich and get redirected to a different shelf because the Pokemon version was gone.
The AHC Masters line sits at a slightly more premium tier. It's the "sophisticated older sibling" of Korean sunscreen — darker packaging, more refined positioning:
- Masters Aqua Rich Sun Cream (SPF 50+, PA++++) — Their flagship. Rich texture but serum-controlled finish. The one everyone's fighting over.
- Masters Air Rich Sun Stick (SPF 50+) — Water resistant stick format. The grab-and-go option for people who reapply on the subway.
- Masters Tone Up Sun Serum (SPF 50+, PA++++) — Brightening serum meets SPF. For people who refuse to accept that sunscreen can't also make them glow.
There was also a Taemin (SHINee) standee next to the display, which... of course there was. K-pop idol ambassador + Pokemon packaging + SPF 50. This is Korean marketing operating at a level the rest of the world hasn't figured out yet. You're not buying sunscreen. You're buying an experience.
An Olive Young exclusive Pikachu sun cream with a box design featuring a 12-ingredient formula badge (촉촉 화장막) was sitting right in front. Limited edition. When it's gone, it's gone.
Price at Olive Young: 16,630-22,700 won (~$12-16 USD). Several variants marked "SOLD OUT." If you want the Pokemon packaging, go soon.
Who this is for: Anyone who wants solid sun protection from a trusted brand. Also: people who want their sunscreen to spark joy. There's no shame in buying SPF because Pikachu is on it. Protection is protection.
LABO-H UV Protector 365 Roll-On Sun Serum — The Wild Card
This is the one nobody's talking about yet, and I think that's a mistake.
LABO-H — a brand you probably know for scalp treatments and anti-hair-loss products — made a sunscreen. And not just any sunscreen. A roll-on sun serum. Like deodorant, but for your face. SPF 50+.
I know how that sounds. Bear with me.
The roll-on format solves real problems that nobody asked about but everyone has:
- No messy hands. You roll it on. Your fingers stay clean. You can apply sunscreen in a taxi without looking like you're doing a skincare routine.
- Controlled application. No squeezing out too much, no wasting product.
- Scalp-friendly. This is where LABO-H's hair care background becomes genius — you can roll this along your part line and hairline without matting your hair down with cream.
- Reapplication becomes effortless. Throw it in your bag. Roll it on over makeup. Done.
The formula includes Probiotics Lysate and Hyaluronic Acid. The green pen-like tubes are compact and distinctive — they look nothing like any other sunscreen on the shelf, which is probably the point.
LABO-H had a massive display combining their scalp care products (shampoo, scalp treatments) with the sun serum, and they were running a 46% off promotion. That's not a subtle discount. That's a "we really want you to try this" discount.
Price at Olive Young: 16,900 won ($12 USD) before the 46% discount. After discount, you're looking at around $6-7 USD for an SPF 50+ roll-on sun serum. That's basically free.
Who this is for: People who hate the mess of applying sunscreen. People who want scalp protection without ruining their hair. People who reapply over makeup during the day. Commuters. Anyone who's ever thought "I'd wear sunscreen more if it wasn't so annoying to put on."
What This Shelf Tells You About Where K-Beauty Is Going
I've been covering Korean skincare long enough to notice when the industry shifts. Walking through this aisle, a few things became obvious:
The format war is real. It's not just creams anymore. Sticks, serums, roll-ons, BB hybrids, tone-ups — Korean brands are competing on how you apply sunscreen, not just what's in it. LABO-H's roll-on is the most radical example, but even Goodal offering five different formats of the same formula tells you something. The future of sunscreen isn't one tube. It's a format for every moment of your day.
Character collabs are serious business. Teletubbies, Pokemon, K-pop idols — this isn't random. These collaborations drive foot traffic and make everyday products feel collectible. The AHC Pokemon version was sold out. Not low in stock. Gone. The Goodal Teletubbies had people picking them up just to take photos. Korean brands understand that sunscreen is boring by default, and they've decided to make it anything but.
SPF 50+ PA++++ is just the floor now. Every single sunscreen I photographed was SPF 50+ PA++++. The maximum protection rating isn't a selling point anymore — it's the minimum requirement. Brands are competing on texture, finish, skin benefits, and experience instead. When the baseline is already "best possible UV protection," innovation has to happen everywhere else.
The prices are almost suspiciously good. Most products on these shelves were between 13,000-25,000 won ($10-18 USD). Buy-one-get-one deals everywhere. For SPF 50+ PA++++ products with real skincare ingredients — probiotics, heartleaf, rice extract, hyaluronic acid, white truffle — that's a fraction of what equivalent Western products cost. And this isn't budget corner stuff. These are the products taking up prime shelf space in Korea's biggest beauty retailer.
So What Should You Actually Buy?
If you're visiting Korea and standing in the Olive Young sunscreen aisle right now with decision paralysis, here's how I'd break it down:
First time trying Korean sunscreen? Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics. It's the safest bet — great formula, great price, works on virtually every skin type. It's the reason we wrote about why Korean sunscreens dominate in the first place.
Sensitive or redness-prone skin? Goodal Heartleaf Soothing Mineral Filter Sun Cream. The mineral filters are gentler than chemical ones, and the heartleaf extract actively calms irritation. Plus the 1+1 deal makes it basically free.
Want something that feels premium? d'Alba UV Essence Waterfull. The texture is genuinely a step above. You'll understand the hype when you swatch it.
Want fun packaging you'll actually show off? AHC Masters x Pokemon. If they have stock. Good luck.
Hate applying sunscreen? LABO-H Roll-On Sun Serum. It'll change how you think about reapplication. Especially if you care about protecting your scalp and hairline.
Building a full routine? Take our skincare quiz and we'll match you with products for your specific skin type — sunscreen included.
Can You Get These Outside Korea?
Most of them, yes:
- Beauty of Joseon is all over Amazon. Probably the easiest to get internationally.
- d'Alba ships through Amazon and their own global site.
- Goodal is available on Olive Young Global with international shipping.
- AHC is on Amazon and most major K-beauty retailers — but the Pokemon edition is likely Korea-exclusive and limited.
- LABO-H is harder to find internationally. Your best bet is Olive Young Global or K-beauty resellers.
If you're not planning a Korea trip anytime soon, the Amazon options for Beauty of Joseon and d'Alba are your easiest path.
The Bottom Line
Korean sunscreen in 2026 is in a different league. It's not just about protection anymore — it's about format innovation, skin-first formulas, and packaging that makes you actually want to pick up the bottle. The brands on these shelves are competing for the right to be the product you reach for every single morning, and the consumer wins every round of that competition.
I still forgot to buy toner, by the way. I'll go back tomorrow.
I'll probably leave with more sunscreen.
Curious about specific products? Check out our Beauty of Joseon Sun Serum review, our guide to the best sunscreen for runners, or take our personalized skincare quiz to find the right SPF for your skin type.