Top Sunscreen Manufacturers in South Korea

South Korea’s sunscreen manufacturing sector includes UV research specialists, broad cosmetics ODMs and factories with specific filling capabilities. For a brand, the useful distinction is how those capabilities match a launch brief: a daily facial cream, a clear stick and a sun essence are different development projects. This list compares those strengths without treating a manufacturer’s portfolio as proof of a future product’s SPF.

How We Selected These Manufacturers

Selection prioritized an identifiable sunscreen development or manufacturing role, specific technical or product capabilities, and a clear operating base. The editorial ranking weighs UV research, relevant formats, production infrastructure and project support. It is not an independently measured ranking of product quality, customer satisfaction or market share. Each profile separates verified capabilities from the practical questions they raise for a buyer.

Compare the Manufacturers at a Glance

Manufacturer Profiles and Project Fit

1. Kolmar Korea

Kolmar Korea is a cosmetics R&D and manufacturing company headquartered in Sejong, with an R&D complex in Seoul. Its UV Tech Innovation Lab develops UV-protection materials for sun-care products. The wider research operation supports formulation, material, fragrance and packaging development, while its Global Research Center and Regulatory Affairs Center address country-specific formulation and regulatory needs.^[1]

Kolmar suits briefs in which UV-protection materials, skin feel and packaging need to be developed together. Its market-focused research and regulatory functions provide a way to review a proposed formulation for the intended sales country. Define the desired finish and claims alongside that market in the initial inquiry.

Best for: Brands seeking UV-focused research with coordinated formulation, packaging and market requirements.

2. COSMAX

COSMAX is a cosmetics ODM with sunscreen production at its Hwaseong plant in South Korea. In 2024, it established an OTC Lab within its Korean research and innovation (R&I) center to support sunscreen development for clients targeting the US market. Its sunscreen formulations include oils, lotions, creams and sticks, with research-to-manufacturing support for sun-care projects.^[2]

An explicit OTC development program makes COSMAX relevant to brands building a US sunscreen brief from the outset. The proposal should identify the intended production site and exact formula, testing and documentation scope; an OTC-focused laboratory does not establish compliance for every formulation.

Best for: Brands planning US-oriented sunscreen development with Korean R&D and manufacturing.

3. Cosmecca Korea

Cosmecca Korea is a cosmetics research and manufacturing company with its headquarters and factory in Eumseong. Its sunscreen portfolio spans stick, tone-up, easy-wash and mineral-cream examples, supported by ongoing mineral sunscreen research. Its OGM service model covers country-specific distribution analysis and regulatory review, product concepts, design, formulation, production and delivery.^[3]

That combination suits a brand deciding how a sunscreen should look, feel and be positioned in a particular market. A tone-up finish and a mineral cream require different product briefs even when the intended protection level is similar. Its product-planning model connects those choices with the market review before the formulation and pack are finalized.

Best for: Brands comparing sunscreen finishes and formats within a market-specific development program.

4. ZICAIL

ZICAIL is a skincare manufacturer based in Guangzhou, China, offering private label, OEM/ODM and custom sunscreen development. Its formats include creams, lotions, gels, sprays, sticks and tinted sunscreens. Development support covers formula selection or customization, sampling, labeling, packaging coordination, production and quality checks, with tubes, bottles, airless pumps, aerosol cans and twist-up packs among the packaging options.^[4]

The range suits a brand evaluating texture and packaging together. A lotion in an airless bottle, a tinted cream in a tube and a twist-up stick create different use experiences and production requirements. Establish the sales market and intended claims in the brief, then review the proposed formula and pack as one finished-product specification.

Best for: Brands coordinating sunscreen texture, format and packaging through one development brief.

5. UCL

UCL is a Korean cosmetics OEM/ODM manufacturer with a Seoul office and an Incheon operating base. Its sunscreen development range includes sun creams, lotions, gels, essences, sprays and sticks. Its broader facial-care range includes toners, serums, essences, moisturizers and eye creams, providing related formats for brands building a skincare line.^[5]

Sun essence and gel formats make UCL relevant to a brief centered on application feel. Those format names are starting points for sampling, not fixed specifications: define spread, finish, fragrance preference and dispensing. A brand adding sunscreen to an existing routine can also evaluate whether its sensory profile works alongside the other products in that range.

Best for: Brands exploring sunscreen essences or gels alongside a broader facial skincare range.

6. THEONE Cosmetic

THEONE Cosmetic is a Korean OEM/ODM and turnkey cosmetics manufacturer with sunscreen among its tube-production products. Its filling equipment covers tubes, bottles and shaped sample pouches, while packaging equipment includes labeling, lot printing and capping. Manufacturing and laboratory equipment includes homogenizing and disperser mixers, pH and viscosity instruments, and temperature and cycling chambers.^[6]

The production setup suits a tube-based sunscreen launch where the container, sample format and filling process need coordination. Scope the sample pouch and retail tube separately, including fill weight and sealing checks. Keep physical stability and filling checks distinct from the UV-protection studies needed to substantiate the final sunscreen claims.

Best for: Brands developing tube sunscreens with coordinated sample, filling and packaging requirements.

7. Hankook Cosmetics Manufacturing

Hankook Cosmetics Manufacturing is a Korean cosmetics manufacturer offering OEM/ODM services. Its formulation portfolio includes transparent sun-stick and sun-spray concepts, as well as water-resistant sunscreen development. These sunscreen examples appear within its texture-development work, alongside other skincare formulation technologies.^[7]

The portfolio is relevant to brands pursuing a clear finish, a portable stick or a water-resistance claim. Treat each as a development direction that needs a current specification and supporting evidence. A historical formulation example does not establish the performance, availability or regulatory status of a newly customized product.

Best for: Brands discussing transparent sunscreen formats or water-resistant formulation development.

Narrow Your Sunscreen Manufacturer Shortlist

Use four checks before requesting comparable quotations:

• Market and claims: Name the sales countries, intended SPF, UVA claims and any water-resistance claim.
• Formula route: Specify an existing, modified or custom formula, including ownership and permitted use.
• Format and pack: Define texture, finish, fill size, container, applicator and compatibility requirements.
• Evidence and terms: Request the relevant sunscreen documentation and confirm MOQ by formula and packaging, testing costs and release responsibilities.

For fuller due diligence, use our guide to choosing a sunscreen manufacturer.

Discuss Your Sunscreen Project with ZICAIL

ZICAIL supports private label and custom sunscreen development with formula, sampling and packaging coordination. Send your sales market, product format, intended claims, texture reference, packaging preference and estimated quantity through our project inquiry form. These inputs help define the development scope before a quotation is prepared.