The standing record
Four things we will put in writing
Each one links to the part of this page that shows the working.
The Korean-market formula
What we list is the formula sold in Korea, not the version reformulated for US shelves. See both releasesBarcode and batch code intact
Nothing is relabelled over the manufacturer’s markings, so the production date stays yours to read. How to read the codeFree returns for 30 days
Unopened with the seal intact, a return inside 30 days is refunded in full, and we send the prepaid label. See the ledgerTracked delivery to your door
Every order ships from California or direct from Korea, as the same Korean-market release. Returns run 30 days from delivery, by mail. See what the ledger states
Anything here you want checked before you buy, ask us first. Contact the shop
Sourced, verified, shipped.··
The Korean-market release, every time.
A US shelf and a Korean shelf do not always hold the same product. Many brands ship a changed formula, size, or name abroad, and a US listing rarely tells you which version you are getting. We list only the Korean-market release, we record it as a field in our catalog, and every listing states it.
Side by side/Beauty of Joseon: Relief Sun, two markets, no shared filter
Korea
Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics
UV filtersNot required on a cosmetic label in this market
- Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
- Ethylhexyl Triazone
- Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol
- Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone
United States
Daily Relief Sunscreen
UV filtersStrength shown, as printed on the Drug Facts panel
- Avobenzone2.70%
- Homosalate9.00%
- Octocrylene5.00%
- Octisalate4.50%
UV filters shared between the twoNone. The two sunscreens have no UV filter in common.
The two releases share no UV filter. The Korean formula rates SPF50+ PA++++; the US Daily Relief is built on four different filters, rates SPF 40, and carries no PA grade at all, because US sunscreen labels do not use the PA system. That is what a Korean-market formula difference looks like in one product.
Sources INCIDecoder (Korean formula)Beauty of Joseon US product pages
The bottle above is the Korean release sold in Seoul, and it is the one we carry. Whenever a brand ships a different formula abroad, we list the Korean-market version and record it as a field in our catalog, so the release you see is the release you get.
See the full set we have checkedDo not trust us. Check the box.
Two things on a Korean box were printed before it ever reached us, and we cannot change either. One is the barcode, which opens with 880, the prefix GS1 issues in Korea. The other is the production code, and the three steps below are how you read it.
Find the code
Korean packaging carries a short production code as well as the barcode, usually stamped or inked rather than printed on the label.
Decode it yourself
Where that code can be checked depends on the brand. Some brands run their own lookup, some print a scannable seal, some are readable on public decoders, and a few have retired code checks altogether.
Judge it yourself
A recent date means most of the shelf life is still ahead of you. If the date comes back older than you expected, or the code will not resolve at all, that is worth an email before you open the box.
Verification differs by brand, so each product page carries the check for the brand it sells.
What you pay, and when.
- Item price
- as shown
- The price on the product page, in US dollars.
- Shipping
- $0 $100 or more
- Free on US orders of $100 or more. Below that it is calculated at checkout.
- Return postage
- $0 eligible returns
- A prepaid label for every eligible return inside 30 days of delivery.
- Delivery
- Tracked
- From California or direct from Korea, tracked to your door.
Every figure above is set before you reach checkout. Each order is the Korean-market release, shipped from California or direct from Korea, and these terms hold whichever route it takes.
Ships from California or direct from Korea.
What is a Korean-market formula?
A Korean-market formula is the version a brand makes for sale inside Korea. It is the one on the shelf in Seoul. Brands often send a different version abroad, with a changed ingredient list, a different size, or a different name, so the same product can arrive as two different products.
So we record it. Every product we list carries its market as a field in our catalog, and the listing states it in plain words. We key every listing to a barcode rather than a name, because names get recycled across markets. Where a brand’s US release genuinely differs, we show the comparison rather than describe it.