Korea and the EU regulate sunscreens as cosmetics (Korea as “functional cosmetics”) and permit a long list of modern UV filters. The U.S. regulates sunscreens as over-the-counter drugs, and the FDA's list of permitted actives is much shorter. That is why many Korean sunscreens are sold in the U.S. only through import sites. In 2026 the FDA added its first new filter in decades, bemotrizinol (Tinosorb S), and ordered PABA and trolamine salicylate removed from 2027.
| Filter | KR Korea max | EU EU max | US U.S. (FDA) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aminobenzoic acid (PABA) PABA |
Approved UV filter Restricted | Prohibited | 15% |
| Avobenzone Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane |
5% | 5% | 3% |
| Cinoxate | 5% | No record | 3% |
| Dioxybenzone Benzophenone-8 |
3% | No record | 3% |
| Ensulizole Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid |
4% | 8%(as acid) | 4% |
| Homosalate | 10% | 7,34 % | 15% |
| Meradimate Menthyl Anthranilate |
5% | No record | 5% |
| Octinoxate Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate |
7.50% | 10% | 7.5% |
| Octisalate Ethylhexyl Salicylate |
5% | 5% | 5% |
| Octocrylene | 10% | a) 9% · b) 10% | 10% |
| Oxybenzone Benzophenone-3 |
5% | a) 6% · b) 2,2% · c) 0,5% | 6% |
| Padimate O Ethylhexyl Dimethyl PABA |
8% | 8% | 8% |
| Sulisobenzone Benzophenone-4 |
5% | 5%(as acid) | 10% |
| Tinosorb S (bemotrizinol) Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine |
10% | 10% | 6% |
| Titanium Dioxide | 25% | (a) 25% · (b) 1,4% · 1.1% 25%* | 25% |
| Trolamine salicylate TEA-Salicylate |
Approved UV filter | (a) 2.5% (a) 3.0% · (b) 2.0% · (c) 0.5% 0,5% · 0,5% | 12% |
| Zinc Oxide | 25% | Approved colorant - 25% - | 25% |
| Amiloxate Isoamyl P-Methoxycinnamate |
10% | 10% | Not FDA-listed |
| Benzophenone-5 | No record | 5%(as acid) | Not FDA-listed |
| Benzylidene Camphor Sulfonic Acid | No record | 6%(as acid) | Not FDA-listed |
| Bis-(Diethylaminohydroxybenzoyl Benzoyl) Piperazine | No record | 10 % | Not FDA-listed |
| Camphor Benzalkonium Methosulfate | No record | 6% | Not FDA-listed |
| Methoxypropylamino Cyclohexenylidene Ethoxyethylcyanoacetate | Approved UV filter | 3% | Not FDA-listed |
| Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol (Nano) | No record | 10 % | Not FDA-listed |
| Mexoryl SX (ecamsule) Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid |
Approved UV filter | 10%(as acid) | Not FDA-listed |
| Mexoryl XL Drometrizole Trisiloxane |
15% | 15% | Not FDA-listed |
| Moved or deleted | No record | Prohibited Restricted Approved preservative Approved UV filter | Not FDA-listed |
| Neo Heliopan AP (bisdisulizole disodium) Disodium Phenyl Dibenzimidazole Tetrasulfonate |
Approved UV filter | 10%(as acid) | Not FDA-listed |
| Parsol SLX Polysilicone-15 |
10% | 10% | Not FDA-listed |
| PEG-25 PABA | No record | 10% | Not FDA-listed |
| Polyacrylamidomethyl Benzylidene Camphor | No record | 6% | Not FDA-listed |
| Potassium Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonate | No record | 8%(as acid) | Not FDA-listed |
| Sodium Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonate | No record | 8%(as acid) | Not FDA-listed |
| TEA-Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonate | Approved UV filter | (a) 2.5% 8%(as acid) | Not FDA-listed |
| Tinosorb A2B Tris-Biphenyl Triazine |
No record | 10% | Not FDA-listed |
| Tinosorb M (bisoctrizole) Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol |
10% | 10% | Not FDA-listed |
| Titanium Dioxide (Nano) | No record | 25% - | Not FDA-listed |
| TriAsorB Phenylene Bis-Diphenyltriazine |
No record | 5% | Not FDA-listed |
| Tris-Biphenyl Triazine (Nano) | No record | 10% | Not FDA-listed |
| Uvasorb HEB (iscotrizinol) Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone |
10% | 10% | Not FDA-listed |
| Uvinul A Plus Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate |
10% | 10% | Not FDA-listed |
| Uvinul T 150 Ethylhexyl Triazone |
5% | 5% | Not FDA-listed |
| Zinc Oxide (Nano) | No record | 25% - | Not FDA-listed |
Korea: MFDS list of functional cosmetic UV-protection ingredients. EU: Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 Annex VI via CosIng. U.S.: FDA OTC Monograph M020 (sunscreen drug products). A filter missing from the U.S. list can still be legal in Korea and the EU — this page reports regulatory status only, not safety.