April 13, 2021

Liah Yoo’s Kravebeauty: The Newest Sunscreen Line To Fail SPF Test

Shiela Jorge

Founder of KraveBeauty and top Youtube beauty influencer (1.18 million subscribers) Liah Yoo has just uploaded an apology video on her youtube channel as of April 12, 2021, regarding the recent results of their sunscreen line.

According to KraveBeauty’s official statement, they’ve partnered with US-based 3rd party testing labs to test their sunscreen line following the height of the Korean sunscreen controversy last December 2020.

They commissioned in-vivo clinical trials using ISO 24444, the current gold standard in sunscreen assessment.

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Beet The Sun's Testing Results

KraveBeauty stated that their product originally has SPF 55.3 but the recent investigation shows that it is below their claimed labels. They’ve then stated that due to legal constraints, they would NOT be able to provide the exact testing results/documentation to the public.

Liah then proceeded to assure her audience that as an individual (and not as an official statement from KraveBeauty as a brand), she would still use the Beet the Sun Line and there’s no need to toss it away. It’s still a sun protector and she would still recommend it to her network of friends.

KraveBeauty Questioned for its Transparency?

Liah Yoo’s statement on still recommending Beet the Shield as a sun protector despite the company’s refusal to disclose the actual SPF numbers raised some eyebrows.

Some have commented that this is a PR move to mitigate the gravity of the issue and make their numbers seem “not that that bad”. As of this point, without the actual results, all everyone can do is speculate.

It is good to note that Beet the Sun, KraveBeauty’s official sunscreen marketed in Korea is currently not yet approved as a sunscreen in the US due to the difference in filters used. It is however, marketed (with the same formulation) as an “antioxidant day fluid” under the name The Beet Shield.

Refunds for Beet the Sun/The Beet Shield

Sales of their Beet the Sun line & The Beet Shield will be pulled out and discontinued in the market indefinitely.

In fact, if you check Beet The Sun & The Beet Shield on their website, they already return with “404 error page not found”, meaning the pages have already been deleted.

KraveBeauty has promised to issue refunds for their sunscreen line for those who have purchased between May 18, 2020, and February 2, 2021. The deadline for their refunds is on May 12, 2021.

To be eligible, the purchase must be on KraveBeauty’s official website. Purchases done on third-party platforms such as Amazon and resellers (those with more than 10 items per purchase) are not considered valid.

If you want to find out if you are eligible – you can check the form here.

What’s next? Are there still Korean Sunscreen brands we can trust?

KraveBeauty joining the slew of brands with failed SPF ratings has reignited the conversation on the “Korean sunscreen controversy” that started last December 2020.

It’s one of the latest brands to officially apologize for their miss and pull out their sunscreen in the market. Liah herself has admitted that this is no longer just a single brand or single manufacturer issue but could be industry-wide.

This should not however be taken as a blanket statement considering that this is not exclusive to Korean or Asian brands in general.

Neutrogena Sunscreen SPF Fail?

This issue is not necessarily exclusive to Korean or Asian brands alone. In fact, there has been a history of and still ongoing issue where Western sunscreens have also fallen short on their SPF claims.

In fact, just this month Consumer NZ has released results for Neutrogena Beach Defence Water + Sun Barrier Lotion Sunscreen SPF50. Contrary to its claims, it’s only SPF 36.5 and has also failed its Broad Spectrum Claims.

To know more about the basics of sun protection, you can visit our blog: Sunscreen VS Sunblock: 10 FAQS About Sun Protection

Korean & Japanese Sunscreens that have PASSED SPF Claims

Ahn In Suk, CEO of Korea Institute of Dermatological Sciences, has conducted independent testings to provide the public with reliable information on which sunscreens have passed or failed their SPF claims in light of the ongoing controversy.

Here’s the list of sunscreens that have been tested so far & has passed their SPF claims:

Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Gel
IOPE UV Shied Sun Protector XP SPF 50+ PA++++
Dr. Orga Premium Sun Protection Creme SPF 50
Round Lab Birch Juice Moisturizing Sun Cream (renewed formula from a different manufacturer)
Make P:rem Defense Me Calming Tone Up Sun Cream
Dr. G Medi UV Ultra Sun

To know more about the details of these sunscreens & which is best suited for your skin type & needs, you can visit: Top Korean Sunscreens with Verified SPF Claims (2021).