🇦🇪United Arab Emirates

Sulwhasoo Essential Firming Cream EX for dry skin

Sulwhasoo Essential Firming Cream EX

Average

  • HighDry Skin Fit
  • HighEffectiveness
  • HighSafety

Works for dry skin; other moisturizers fit it better.

This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry skin: flakiness, tightness, dehydration, fine lines, and wrinkles. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.

Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works

Lovi Assistant explains

  • Offers moderate hydration for your dry or flaky skin, as glycerin and betaine provide humectant benefits while camellia sinensis seed oil and sesamum indicum seed oil offer emollient action.
  • This formulation is highly suitable for dry skin due to its blend of humectants and emollients that improve skin elasticity.
  • The product is safe for your dry skin, with no risks of irritation from harsh ingredients.

How to apply

  • Could be used as part of your AM or PM routine. Start using it 3 times a week and work your way up to daily use.
  • Apply your moisturizer after your toner and before your sunscreen in the morning. At night, use it as the final step after your serum.
  • Gently press a small amount of the moisturizer into your skin. Avoid rubbing to keep your dry skin happy.
  • Apply the moisturizer on slightly damp skin to help lock in extra hydration. This is great for soothing dry and flaky areas .
  • Avoid the sensitive eye area and do a patch test before your first use .

People Say

★4.7Overall rating based on 300+ reviews

This rich cream is highly praised by users with dry and mature skin for its deep hydration and plumping effects, often resulting in a healthy glow. While many enjoy the luxurious, velvety texture and calming herbal scent, some find the fragrance overpowering or the cream too rich and heavy, occasionally leading to greasiness or breakouts, particularly for those with oily skin.

Highlights

  • Deeply hydrating Mostly Mentioned
    • “hydration lasted for hours”
    • “skin felt plump and hydrated”
    • “wake up with plump, revitalized skin”
    • “my skin drinks this up”
  • Luxurious texture Often Mentioned
    • “rich, velvety texture”
    • “melts beautifully into the skin”
    • “whipped cream texture very soft”
    • “absorbs nicely without feeling heavy”
  • High price point Often Mentioned
    • “price is a bit steep”
    • “on the pricier side”
    • “wish it were a bit more affordable”
    • “expensive for just a moisturizer”
  • Calming scent Sometimes Noted
    • “herbal ginseng scent which I enjoy”
    • “scent... find to be calming”
    • “fresh, subtle scent that feels special”
    • “smells like a herbal perfume”
  • Visibly firms skin Sometimes Noted
    • “notice a subtle but real firming effect”
    • “complexion appear firmer”
    • “visibly firms and smooths”
    • “improves skin elasticity”
  • Scent too strong Sometimes Noted
    • “scent slightly overpowering”
    • “strong ginger menthol scent”
    • “fragrance is a bit strong”
    • “scent used to bother me”
  • Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
    • “broke out in stubborn blemishes”
    • “pores started feeling congested”
    • “noticed inflammation developing”
    • “caused blemishes”
  • Too heavy / greasy Rarely Noted
    • “too rich for warmer days”
    • “feels sticky and greasy”
    • “bit too oily for those with oily skin”
    • “leaves a bit of a streak”

Sources: lovi.care, sephora.com, influenster.com, yesstyle.com, nordstrom.com, hwahae.co.kr, and more

Questions and answers

How well does Sulwhasoo Essential Firming Cream EX work for dry skin?

This cream works moderately well for dry skin, providing basic hydration and softening through a mix of ingredients that draw in moisture and smooth the surface. To fit dry skin best, a product of this type needs highly effective soothing ingredients like hyaluronic acid for deep hydration, rich plant oils to support the skin barrier, and a formula free of allergens.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017

Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for dry skin?

Glycerin and betaine help draw in moisture, while camellia sinensis seed oil and sesamum indicum seed oil soften dry skin. To best care for dry skin, a moisturizing treatment needs a rich blend of moisture-retaining ingredients and nourishing plant oils to deeply hydrate and support the skin barrier.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017

What does Water do for dry skin?

Drinking more water helps increase skin hydration and may reduce clinical signs of dryness and roughness, particularly for individuals with lower prior water consumption.

Skin Research and Technology, 2018

What does Glycerin do for dry skin?

Glycerin helps dry skin by drawing in moisture and keeping it locked in, which makes the skin feel much softer and smoother. It also supports your natural skin barrier to stop water from escaping easily. A product for dry skin needs extra ingredients like hyaluronic acid and soothing plant extracts to truly calm and hydrate dry patches.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008

Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for dry skin?

This moisturizing treatment goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before your final moisturizer, or as a weekly nourishing step. To better support dry skin, products of this type need richer blends of heavy oils and barrier-protecting ingredients that lock in moisture.

Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?

You can use this cream with retinol, and applying it after your retinol helps keep your dry skin feeling soft and comfortable. This type of routine is unlikely to cause irritation when your dry skin is supported by a rich blend of moisture-locking ingredients and plant oils.

Cutis, 2006

How often should I use this cream?

You can use this moisturizing treatment twice a day to help keep dry skin soft and comfortable. Regular daily application improves skin moisture and helps protect your dry skin from roughness and flaking.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021

Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry skin?

This cream is unlikely to cause breakouts for dry skin, as shopper complaints about clogged pores or breakouts are low. To fully care for dry skin, a product of this type needs rich moisturizing oils and humectants to keep skin soft and deeply hydrated.

Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?

You can use this moisturizing treatment around the eyes and on the body, though dry skin generally needs richer ingredients and heavier oils to stay fully soft and smooth.

Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002

Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, which soften the skin.

What the research says

  • A combination of Aloe barbadensis leaf extract and trimethylglycine in a 1:1 mass ratio synergistically increased aquaporin 3 expression by up to 380% in keratinocytes and safely improved skin hydration in healthy volunteers.

    Molecules, 2024
  • A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.

    Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
  • Cyclomethicone and specific chain length cyclic siloxanes (n = 4-7) are safe in present practices of use and concentration, showing minimal percutaneous absorption, no skin irritation or sensitization, and unlikely significant systemic exposure from cosmetics.

    International Journal of Toxicology, 2011
  • The emollient V0034CR significantly reduced TEWL compared to vehicle and vehicle plus glycerol, and significantly increased corneometry scores compared to vehicle and vehicle plus petrolatum in healthy volunteers with dry skin, demonstrating combined barrier function improvement from petrolatum and hydration improvement from glycerol.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020
  • Ten days of treatment with a cream containing 20% glycerin significantly increased skin hydration measured by corneometer values in 17 healthy volunteers compared to a placebo cream, but showed no influence on transepidermal water loss or skin sensitivity to an irritating surfactant.

    International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2001
  • Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.

    Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012

Ingredients

Water, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Butylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Poly C6-14 Olefin, Cyclohexasiloxane, Betaine, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glyceryl Stearate, Peg-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Dimethicone Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Peg-10 Dimethicone, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Disodium Edta, Ethylhexylglycerin, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract, Rehmannia Glutinosa Root Extract, Lilium Candidum Bulb Extract, Polygonatum Officinale Root Extract Rhizome, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Honey, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract Licorice Root Extract, Angelica Acutiloba Root Extract, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil Apricot Kernel Oil, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Squalane, Tocopherol

Behind this fit score

Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.

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Prices checked 6 Nov 2026

The Lovi Fit is the same in every country; only the stores and prices differ, and the ones here are for the United Arab Emirates.

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