Every summer, visitors land in Seoul and leave Olive Young with a suitcase pocket full of sunscreen. There’s a reason — and it isn’t marketing. In the US, sunscreen is regulated as a drug. In Korea, it’s a cosmetic. That one difference explains why American chemists worked from a 1990s ingredient list for 25 years while Korean formulas kept advancing — and why the FDA’s approval of bemotrizinol (BEMT) on June 9 is bigger news than it sounds.

In this episode, Sarah and I decode: Why Korean sunscreen feels nothing like American sunscreen The regulation that stalled US innovation for 25 years What the FDA’s new UV filter approval actually changes — and how fast Why Korea treats sun protection so differently Who really benefits: the Korean manufacturers.

Stay Cool,
Helen