All scans / Sunscreens / K-Secret Seoul 1988 Sun: Pine Tree + Ceramide SPF 50+
K-Secret Seoul 1988 Sun: Pine Tree + Ceramide SPF 50+ ingredients: is it worth it?
A genuinely competent sunscreen with a strong filter system, but the pine-tree-and-peptide storytelling is doing more marketing work than the low-dose barrier extras.
A genuinely competent sunscreen with a strong filter system, but the pine-tree-and-peptide storytelling is doing more marketing work than the low-dose barrier extras.
READ MORE
The efficacy score of 4.5/5 reflects multiple modern UVA/UVB filters positioned near the top, including a high-performance UVA filter, strong UVB filters, and a broad-spectrum particulate filter; this is the formula's real value. Niacinamide at position 7 may provide meaningful supporting barrier and tone benefits, while glycerin and glycols support hydration. Ceramide NP is declared at only 100 ppm and appears near the end, so it should not be credited as substantial barrier repair. The peptides, pine extract, and botanical claims are secondary marketing features rather than the drivers of sunscreen performance. The safety score of 4.3/5 reflects the absence of declared fragrance, essential oils, denatured alcohol, and aggressive exfoliating acids, with the main caveat that sunscreen filters and botanical extracts can still irritate unusually reactive skin. The product is documented as SPF 50+ PA++++ and priced at US$10.80 on YesStyle.
We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Links never influence scores.
DemythSkin rates K-Secret Seoul 1988 Sun: Pine Tree + Ceramide SPF 50+ 4.5/5 for efficacy and 4.3/5 for safety.
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS BY TIER
Gold Standards
High clinical proof | Skin-transformativeReliable
Proven resultsPotent
Developing evidenceOverhyped | Marketing
Hype | Limited dataDocumented Irritants
Evidence-backed flagFORMULATION BASE (18)⌄
FULL INGREDIENT LIST⌄
Water, Propanediol, Dibutyl Adipate, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Niacinamide, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethyl- butylphenol, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Caprylyl Methicone, Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone, Glycerin, Pinus Sylvestris Bud Extract(10,009ppm), Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Cardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract, Hedychium Coronarium Root Extract, Echium Planta-gineum Seed Oil, Behenyl Alcohol, Poly C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Octyldodecanol, Decyl Glucoside, Tromethamine, Carbomer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil Unsaponifiables, Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Caprylate, Tocopherol, Ceramide NP(100ppm), Caprylyl Glycol, Nonapeptide-1, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Copper Tripeptide-1, Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Hexapeptide-9 Ingredients subject to change at manufacturer&
WHAT EACH INGREDIENT DOES (24)⌄
- Water
- Formula solvent
- Propanediol
- Humectant and solvent
- Dibutyl Adipate
- Light emollient and solvent
- Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
- UVA sunscreen filter
- Butyloctyl Salicylate
- Emollient and filter solvent
- Ethylhexyl Triazone
- UVB sunscreen filter
- Niacinamide
- Barrier and tone-support ingredient
- Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol
- Broad-spectrum UV filter
- Polymethylsilsesquioxane
- Texture and optical modifier
- Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
- Light emollient
- Caprylyl Methicone
- Silicone emollient
- Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone
- UVB and UVA filter
- Glycerin
- Humectant
- Pinus Sylvestris Bud Extract(10,009ppm)
- Botanical extract
- Butylene Glycol
- Humectant and solvent
- 1,2-Hexanediol
- Solvent and preservative booster
- Pentylene Glycol
- Humectant and solvent
- Cardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract
- Botanical extract
- Hedychium Coronarium Root Extract
- Botanical extract
- Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil
- Emollient plant oil
- Behenyl Alcohol
- Structuring fatty alcohol
- Poly C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate
- Film-forming texture agent
- Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
- Emulsifier
- Octyldodecanol
- Emollient and solvent
EXTERNAL CITATIONS
Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate: Modern UVA sunscreen filter
Ethylhexyl Triazone: High-efficiency UVB sunscreen filter
Niacinamide: Well-studied barrier and pigmentation-support ingredient
Ceramide NP: Barrier lipid; declared at 100 ppm in this formula
DISCLAIMER: THIS ANALYSIS IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY. NOT MEDICAL ADVICE. AI-GENERATED DATA BASED ON PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INGREDIENT LISTS. VERIFY WITH A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL.
K-Secret Seoul 1988 Sun: Pine Tree + Ceramide SPF 50+: common questions
Is K-Secret Seoul 1988 Sun: Pine Tree + Ceramide SPF 50+ worth it?
K-Secret Seoul 1988 Sun: Pine Tree + Ceramide SPF 50+ scores 4.5 out of 5.0 for efficacy (Gold Standard) and 4.3 out of 5.0 for safety (Gentle) on DemythSkin's independent ingredient analysis. A genuinely competent sunscreen with a strong filter system, but the pine-tree-and-peptide storytelling is doing more marketing work than the low-dose barrier extras.
What are the key active ingredients in K-Secret Seoul 1988 Sun: Pine Tree + Ceramide SPF 50+?
K-Secret Seoul 1988 Sun: Pine Tree + Ceramide SPF 50+ contains these gold-standard actives with strong clinical evidence: Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol.
Does K-Secret Seoul 1988 Sun: Pine Tree + Ceramide SPF 50+ contain fragrance or known irritants?
DemythSkin flags these ingredients in K-Secret Seoul 1988 Sun: Pine Tree + Ceramide SPF 50+ as documented irritants: Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil.
How is K-Secret Seoul 1988 Sun: Pine Tree + Ceramide SPF 50+ scored?
DemythSkin grades every product on two independent scores: efficacy (whether the ingredients have clinical evidence of working) and safety (irritation and sensitisation risk). Ingredients are graded S through D against a database of over 3,000 compounds. Brand and price are not part of the score, and no brand pays for one.
Free scores for every product in the database, or see them on Sephora, Ulta and Amazon with the Chrome extension.