A lightweight Korean chemical sunscreen with SPF 50+ PA++++ formulated with 30% rice seed water, panthenol, and B5 designed for oily and combination skin.
This sunscreen earns consistent praise for feeling weightless and invisible on skin without greasiness, stickiness, or white cast, making it a standout for anyone with oily or combination skin and those in hot climates. The gel-based texture applies so easily that several gurus rank it their top pick, though a few note it may pill if skin is disrupted or come off more readily with heavy sweating, so it's best for daily wear rather than intense exercise. One thing worth knowing: while most gurus love the lightweight formula, anyone with very dry skin may prefer the original Beauty of Joseon Rice and Probiotics version for extra hydration.
Synthesized from 17 expert reviews · most recent take September 2026
"Now, there are different brands that have very nice sunscreens. But the one that I really, really like a lot, especially in the past 2 years, that outside of not making my face feel like a grease ball, is also very light and sits very light on my skin, is the Beauty of Joseon Aqua sunscreen. I love it so much. I think that it's done so much for my skin in the past two years."
"I'll be honest, I do like this sunscreen, the Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Aqua Rich sunscreen. [...] I feel like it's a more lightweight consistency compared to the Beauty of Joseon Rice and Probiotics sunscreen, albeit the ingredient list is a little bit lackluster compared to that one. However, I do like this one as a base for more hot and humid days, especially under the secondary sunscreen that I use. It's a nice hydrating sunscreen that doesn't feel too heavy on the skin."
"The other lightweight sunscreen I have on rotation is the Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Aqua Fresh Rice Plus B5. There's another version without the Aqua Fresh that's more hydrating and that I prefer for the rest of the year, but this one is really lightweight and feels like nothing on the skin."
"It gives me a hydrated glow finish and the texture applies so easily. Honestly, if I had to choose between both of these, for melanin rich skin specifically, I'd lean towards the Aquaresh because the panthenol edition is so good for our skin, it's such an upgrade with an excellent formula. My final ranking is that this is the best overall finish, it's beautiful."
"If you have oily skin, you're a teenager, live somewhere hot, or hate any greasy feeling, get this one. It's lightweight, cooling, and has almost no residue. It's affordable and performs great. This is an easy S tier."
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"If you have oily skin, you're a teenager, live somewhere hot, or hate any greasy feeling, get this one. It's lightweight, cooling, and has almost no residue. It's affordable and performs great. This is an easy S tier."
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"Beauty of Joseon came out with a new fresh version. It's definitely lightweight, much more watery, and has a less oily finish than the original, so you guys can try this one out."
"The Beauty of Joseon Aquaresh, this one's great."
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"I really grew to love this one more though and it's geared towards more oily skin, this one's geared more towards dry skin. It feels nice on my skin. I didn't have any issues using it in Europe with no issues with sunburn, redness or freckling."
"This is the Beauty of Joseon Aqua Fresh Sun Relief, the new version of it. Normally I would put my sunscreen on and then that can come makeup, but if you can put your sunscreen on over it, it's better. The later on in your routine you use it, the better."
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"Their Relief Aqua Fresh Rice Plus B5 sunscreen is great. I love using it every day. No greasiness, no white cast, no smell. Just wonderful sunscreen coverage."
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"It's got two L'Oreal filters in there and [...] I'm pretty confident in these ingredients. [...] It felt really nice the beginning of the day and at the end of the day. I think [...] it is more hydrating and throughout the day it ends up looking a little bit more shiny, but using it all day yesterday was fun, it was nice, felt good, it worked well under makeup and worked well over my serums. [...] It's 18 bucks so it's pretty friendly [...] for most skin types."
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"One I'm loving is the Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Aqua Fresh Rice Plus B5."
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"I [...] did notice that one of the sunscreens I used it over did pill a bit. [...] It pilled a little bit, not a ton, but a few days I used it it did peel, actually mostly around my forehead. It might not actually have anything to do with this, it could be the sunscreen or my moisturizer, but I just thought I'd mention that. Once it soaks in it sets to a radiant finish that is just slightly tacky. [...] For beneficial ingredients, it's got a pretty short ingredient list."
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"This sunscreen is really nice, it's just a chemical sunscreen with no scent to it and really nice texture. I'm really loving it [...] because it just sinks right into your skin. In addition to those filters, it's got some good ingredients: rice, oat, artichoke, green tea. And it's only six bucks. Hands down I will repurchase this, no doubt. I really am happy with it, I love it."
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"I love this stuff. I have my backup. I actually have a couple backups of it now and it's really nice. So when I was in South Korea and Japan, I picked up a couple tubes of this to have on hand because I really do enjoy it. [...] I really like this stuff. If you haven't tried it, check it out. I like it better than their other sunscreen, which is really popular."
"I'm wearing their aqua fresh sunscreen as we speak and it's just so nice. I really like the feel of chemical sunscreens and I've gotten used to them."
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"Their rice and their Aquaresh sunscreens are great."
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"It soaks in pretty nicely, no fragrance, no alcohol in it, feels nice on skin. Takes a minute to soak in but once it does it feels really nice and absorbs nicely on your skin. We've got five chemical filters, oat kernel, vitamin E, ferulic acid, and beta glucan in here. This stuff has become one of my favorites pretty quickly. I really am loving it."
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"I absolutely love it. I think I'm on my third tube of it now. It's really amazing. It's alcohol-free and fragrance-free. So for very sensitive skin, it's nice. It's hydrating, but not greasy or sticky or anything like that. It's very nice. It contains five chemical filters as well as some soothing ingredients. I really like how this works underneath my makeup or no makeup."
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"I'm wearing it right now underneath my foundation and it's really nice. [...] Aside from those chemical filters we've got beta glucan, rice extract, ferulic acid and oat kernel. It's just really nice transparent sunscreen. It has literally like no smell to it at all, whereas if you're used to using chemical US sunscreens or used to that sunscreen smell, this has no scent at all which makes it lovely. [...] It applies very clear, so really nice product certainly worth checking out."
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"At first I hated this one and then I reused it months later and I ended up liking it. But I also love their Aqua Fresh, which I need to also repurchase. [...] Both of them are wonderful. Order them from K beauty brand websites. Don't order them from anywhere else because you'll get perhaps Beauty of Joseon has American sunscreen. So don't buy it from Amazon. Buy it from a K beauty site because then you know you'll be getting a Korean one."
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"I just love this one, it's really nice and I've been using it a lot lately. It's very friendly, it literally has no scent at all and probably much better UVA protection. The Aquafresh version is much more natural looking and it literally has no smell. The US version is very tacky, very tacky, whereas this version is not quite as tacky, still a little tacky and sticky. Typically you want to give it 15 minutes to soak in so that shouldn't be as big of an issue."
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"I've got the Beauty of Joseon aqua fresh, I'm going to put this one on. It's currently my favorite."
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"They're aqua fresh, I really love their original one, it's a holy grail for a lot of people. Their aqua fresh one I really love."
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"I didn't like it at first, then I grew to like it, but now I like their Aqua Fresh version of this one better, but it's still wonderful."
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"The Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Aqua Fresh Rice Plus B5 is really nice. It's a chemical sunscreen. K beauty, no fragrance, non-drying, very nice lotion texture. Applies very clear and even to skin."
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"The Beauty of Joseon Aquaresh, this one's great."
"Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Aqua Fresh is one I'm gravitating towards. I pick my SPF based on how I feel that day, what I did last night, whether I think my skin needs a little extra hydration."
"No stickiness, no peeling under makeup, and no white cast. What I love about this is that it uses really advanced chemical sunscreen filters that are not available in the US. These filters [...] provide really broad UVA and UVB spectrum coverage, and they're just more cosmetically elegant. This one is SPF 50 plus PA++++ four pluses. It's formulated with 30% rice seed water, which helps to hydrate and brighten without irritation."
"It's lighter on the skin, and while it's not runny, it's actually really easy to apply. It feels so nice on the skin. It has ceramides, soothing ingredients. It does not contain niacinamide. It blends in beautifully. I didn't feel this was as glowy. It's more of a kind of soft matte. It is a really, really lovely product. [...] I prefer a more hydrating formula, but oily and combo skin will love this."
"The Aqua Fresh version is and I feel that this version is optimal for oily skin for acne prone girls for people who have hormonal acne I am telling you the Aqua Fresh version is absolute legend"
Translated from the guru's original language.
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"I've been using this straight up for about a week now and every time I've used it I've absolutely loved it. It is for everyone who is combination to oily skin. If your skin is normal to dry or very very dry and flaky, I'd still recommend that you go for the OG Beauty of Joseon formula because that really doubles up like a moisturizer. But for everyone else, combo skin, oily skin, acne prone skin, this is Chef's kiss. This is such a beautiful formula."
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"The Aqua Fresh version is and I feel that this version is optimal for oily skin for acne prone girls for people who have hormonal acne I am telling you the Aqua Fresh version is absolute legend"
"I've been really enjoying it. It also has panthenol and colloidal oatmeal in this product, so it's really hydrating and also soothing for those with irritated skin in the winter time when your skin feels quite impaired. Panthenol is a very special ingredient in products where it's hydrating and moisturizing at the same time. I've been really impressed by Beauty of Joseon."
"Even when [...] my moisture barrier isn't feeling great, this doesn't irritate my skin, and it is so fast, it is so cosmetically elegant to apply. The only catch, and the reason I've knocked it down to number two, is that I've seen a lot of people talk about pilling with this one. [...] I haven't experienced that problem myself, other than when I've disrupted the film by scratching at my skin, and I've been able to wear it under a lot of makeup."
"I just think that the texture performs really really beautifully. That semi matte finish is fantastic. I think it's another sunscreen that can suit a lot of different skin types. For oily skin, I think you're going to like that it's not super duper shiny. For combination skin, I think you're going to like this as well. It's not a waxy sunscreen. For dry skin, I don't think you have to be super duper concerned about this as far as the silica goes."
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"Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Aqua Fresh is their lighter aqua fresh version, their answer to their original Relief Rice Plus Probiotic sunscreen. They've created a version that feels lighter, a version that is less shiny in the finish, less dewy, and a version that doesn't use the sunscreen filters that were causing that ashy kind of blue purple cast."
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"There has been some criticism of this one where people are experiencing pilling. I haven't experienced it, and so this is something that you have to take with a grain of salt. It could happen to you or it may not happen to you. It's just something to be aware of. I'm not exactly sure what's causing the pilling. The fact that some people are getting it and some aren't makes me think it has something to do with it not matching up with certain moisturizers."
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"I just think that the texture performs really really beautifully. That semi matte finish is fantastic. I think it's another sunscreen that can suit a lot of different skin types. For oily skin, I think you're going to like that it's not super duper shiny. For combination skin, I think you're going to like this as well. It's not a waxy sunscreen. For dry skin, I don't think you have to be super duper concerned about this as far as the silica goes."
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"It feels so lightweight. It's definitely matte. I was like this feels great, I love this. Then I started looking into the ingredients and I noticed the silica. Silica is an ingredient that is used in sunscreens to take down some of the shine, it's oil controlling, it can create a mattifying effect on the skin. I think it's fantastic. I have used it in sunscreens with good success. I do have combination skin, it can get quite oily in the T-Zone and I can get extremely dry in my cheek zone."
"This is the Beauty of Joseon aqua fresh sunscreen, and this is going to be the next viral sunscreen sensation. [...] It is designed to be like the sister to the original Beauty of Joseon sunscreen which was also viral, but this is more lightweight. It's got a gel base so it works perfectly on oily and acne prone skin, and it's actually got a lot more hydrators. If you're looking for a sunscreen that could act as a moisturizer and a sunscreen in one, this is a great great option."
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"This is the Beauty of Joseon aqua fresh sunscreen, and this is going to be the next viral sunscreen sensation. [...] It is designed to be like the sister to the original Beauty of Joseon sunscreen which was also viral, but this is more lightweight. It's got a gel base so it works perfectly on oily and acne prone skin, and it's actually got a lot more hydrators. If you're looking for a sunscreen that could act as a moisturizer and a sunscreen in one, this is a great great option."
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"If you're watching this from the US, the formulation on this one isn't great because of outdated regulations around sunscreens in the US. [...] Rest of the world, this is a holy grail sunscreen. I would recommend it for anyone that wants a super lightweight, acne-friendly sunscreen. If you're in the US, avoid, just not worth it. [...] Depends where you're shopping from, but holy grail for the rest of the world. Total fail for the US, unfortunately."
"This formula just solves a lot of problems that people had with Korean sunscreens. [...] White cast and niacinamide, these are rising concerns outside of Korea. So we got our wish. The only real downsides: that lightweight texture, which is great from a sensory point of view. It feels really nice on skin. It might mean that it comes off more easily with things like sweat and movement. So this is definitely not something you want to wear while gardening or exercising."
"The new sunscreen from Beauty of Joseon, Relief Sun Aqua Fresh Rice Plus B5 with an SPF of 50 and PA of four pluses. This is a lighter weight version of the original Rice and Probiotics which I also love, but the difference between the two are not so extreme. It's just that the texture of this is lighter, but on the skin it still makes the skin look really healthy and hydrated."
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"The new sunscreen from Beauty of Joseon, Relief Sun Aqua Fresh Rice Plus B5 with an SPF of 50 and PA of four pluses. This is a lighter weight version of the original Rice and Probiotics which I also love, but the difference between the two are not so extreme. It's just that the texture of this is lighter, but on the skin it still makes the skin look really healthy and hydrated."
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"It also sinks in and dries down super fast. It's almost like you're getting a splash of water that just gets sucked into your skin. It's really refreshing and soothing as you apply it and I feel like it leaves a very smooth skin finish. While the relief sun is creamy and moisturizing, this just feels really hydrating and then disappears. This has 30% rice water in it. It's also got panthenol or vitamin B5 which is super hydrating."
"This is meant to be the lighter alternative and it really is. [...] It feels so watery. It does have a slightly typical sunscreen smell, [...] but a lot of people found that the Relief Sun actually left somewhat of a white cast on their skin, and they're finding that this one really does leave nothing because it's chemical filters. [...] The finish isn't dewy like dewy glass skin, nothing. It's just sheer. It's going to go on your skin, it's going to match your skin."
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Frequently asked.
What is Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Aqua Fresh Rice Plus B5?
A lightweight Korean chemical sunscreen with SPF 50+ PA++++ formulated with 30% rice seed water, panthenol, and B5 designed for oily and combination skin.
Is Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Aqua Fresh Rice Plus B5 worth it?
Mostly yes. 16 of the 17 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 89%.
What is Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Aqua Fresh Rice Plus B5's Guru Score?
Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Aqua Fresh Rice Plus B5 holds a Guru Score of 89%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 17 expert reviewers we have collected. It is also Guru Certified, our mark for products that hold broad approval across many expert reviewers.
Who is Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Aqua Fresh Rice Plus B5 best for?
Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Aqua Fresh Rice Plus B5 is generally suited to oily skin and combination skin.
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