Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Sun Moist Sun Serum SPF 50+: What Consumer NZ Measured
Last updated November 2, 2026
Consumer NZ tested it at SPF 41 against an SPF 50+ label in October 2026; the retailer it was bought from ordered a further test and temporarily removed it from sale.
The Korean ginseng sun serum was the most expensive product in Consumer NZ's October 2026 round. It tested at SPF 41 against a label of SPF 50+. The product name above is the one Consumer NZ printed in its results table.
What was tested
Consumer NZ measured SPF 41, 30 October 2026
Consumer NZ measured SPF 41 against a label of SPF 50+. As the body's results table prints it:
DID NOT MEET SPF LABEL CLAIM · Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Sun Moist Sun Serum SPF50+ · SPF (tested) 41 · SPF protection High
A row of Consumer NZ's results table, transcribed cell by cell with its column headings; the dots separate the cells. Consumer NZ embeds the table in its article.
Method, as Consumer NZ states it: Sunscreens bought from stores and sent “blind” to an accredited laboratory, which Consumer NZ does not name, in light-resistant packaging, and tested against two aspects of the Australian/New Zealand sunscreen standard. Each sunscreen first underwent a five-person panel test; the seven with preliminary results below their SPF claim then went on to the full 10-person test the standard requires. Product applied at 2mg per cm2 and left to dry for 15 minutes, then a lamp simulating the sunburn-causing part of the UV spectrum shone on protected and unprotected skin, with redness assessed by a technician around 24 hours later and the results from all 10 participants averaged. Broad-spectrum protection measured by spectrophotometer on a thin film of sunscreen on a plate, against a critical wavelength and a UVA protection of at least one-third of the tested SPF.
What the brand said
Consumer NZ bought this sunscreen from the New Zealand retailer Farmers, which supplied test results from 2023 supporting the SPF claim. Consumer NZ reported that a Farmers spokesperson said the brand had confirmed no formulation changes since that testing.
Farmers also requested that its supplier undertake additional testing and have advised that the full 10-person test is expected by the end of the year.
What happened next
- 30 October 2026 — Consumer NZ reported that Farmers has temporarily removed this sunscreen from sale while the further testing is completed, and that the product is also available from other retailers. Consumer NZ.
Market status: no change has been published by any source cited here. Statuses in this story moved repeatedly between 2025 and 2026, so check the regulator before assuming a product is still on sale.
Alternatives that passed
Consumer NZ reported that three of the 10 sunscreens in the same test met their SPF label claim. It sent only the seven whose preliminary five-person result fell short on to the full ten-person test, so these three carry no tested figure. None of the three is a serum: Smart365 Sun Sunscreen Lotion SPF50+, met its claim, Cetaphil Sun Ultra Light Lotion SPF50+, met its claim, Cancer Society Everyday Protection SPF50, met its claim.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was the product withdrawn?
Not by the brand, on any source cited here. Consumer NZ reported that Farmers, the retailer it bought the sunscreen from, has temporarily removed it from sale while a further 10-person test is completed, and that it is also available from other retailers.
What did the brand say?
Consumer NZ's report carries the retailer's response rather than the brand's: Farmers supplied test results from 2023 and said the brand has confirmed no formulation changes since that testing.
SPF List did not test this product. The results on this page were published by the named test body or regulator; quotes and links go to the original publication. Brand responses and later developments are listed where they were published. Formulations change; a result applies to the batch and date tested.