Daiso 5,000-won sunscreen under fire over alleged failure... YouTuber's claim of "burns" sparks controversy

[Financial News] Daiso, which has recently been riding the success of value-for-money cosmetics in the ultra-low-price beauty market, has been caught up in an unexpected controversy over whether its sunscreens fall short of their stated SPF ratings. The dispute began after a beauty YouTuber alleged that several Daiso sunscreen products did not meet the claimed protection levels. Daiso said the products are "safe and fully compliant with MFDS standards" and vowed to respond firmly after an objective re-evaluation.
The controversy began with a video posted on the YouTube channel "Skin Is Science by Min Dong-seong" on the 9th and 10th. In the video, the creator said he commissioned clinical tests on 10 popular sunscreens sold at Daiso, spending 30 million won out of pocket, part of a 100 million won loan, and claimed that eight of the products failed to meet the "SPF 50+" standard. He also alleged that the trial was halted after a test subject developed burns and erythema during the process.
In response, Daiso issued an official statement on the 14th, saying, "The allegations have not been confirmed as fact at all," and strongly denied them.
Daiso explained that all eight products in question were safe items that had undergone thorough verification before launch, including finished-product test reports and human-use clinical results, in compliance with the standards and procedures set by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
In particular, Daiso raised strong doubts about the reliability and objectivity of the clinical data presented by the whistleblower's side, rebutting the claims point by point.
First, it pointed to the issue of sample size under the regulations. Under current MFDS notices, SPF measurements must be verified through human-use testing with at least 10 valid subjects to account for individual skin differences and reduce error. However, the evidence presented by the YouTuber was based on a small preclinical test involving only two to three subjects, which Daiso said lacked the statistical significance needed to serve as official SPF evaluation data.
The company also challenged the "source and transparency of the data." Daiso said the document submitted by the YouTuber was nothing more than a "simple Excel-style informal file" without an official seal from an accredited testing agency, the signature of the test supervisor, a unique report number, or even the lot number and expiration date used for product traceability.
To resolve the matter quickly and verify the facts transparently, Daiso formally proposed a joint re-test through a state-accredited institution and a cross-check of the original reports, but said the other side rejected all of those proposals.

Industry players and dermatology experts are also skeptical of the YouTuber's claims.
Beauty YouTuber "Cosmetics Are Science by Ahn Unnie (Director Ahn In-sook)," who runs the Korea Skin Science Research Institute, said in a video, "A preclinical test usually costs around 10 million won for 10 tests, so saying 30 million won was spent already sounds exaggerated."
"It makes no sense to discuss whether a product passed clinical testing based only on preclinical results," she added. "Looking at the photos of the materials released by the YouTuber, the boundaries of the erythema are unclear and the evaluation criteria are inconsistent. There is a very high possibility that errors occurred during the test, such as uneven application or insufficient subject control."
Adding to the skepticism, none of the 22 domestic clinical institutions in the consortium said they had conducted tests at the YouTuber's request, further fueling doubts about whether the clinical trial even existed.
Meanwhile, Daiso is taking a cautious stance on consumer demands to suspend sales. A Daiso official said, "Normal suppliers should not be harmed by indiscriminate measures," but added, "Consumer protection is also very important, so we will work with product suppliers to quickly carry out objective verification through a state-accredited testing agency and respond responsibly based on the results."



moon@fnnews.com Moon Young-jin Reporter