Sulwhasoo The Ultimate S Cream for oily skin
Hydrolyzed Ginseng Saponins
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Shea Butter
Squalane
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
TocopherolAverage
- AverageOily Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for oily skin; other moisturizers fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily skin: shine, enlarged pores, blackheads, and blemishes. 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 suitability for your oily skin, as squalane and shea butter provide emollient action, while Hydrolyzed Ginseng Saponins and Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 hydrate and smooth fine lines.
- The formulation provides general skincare benefits for oily skin, but it lacks specialized ingredients for strong seboregulation to address oily shine.
- The product is safe for your oily skin with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Could be used as part of your AM or PM routine every day to keep your face fresh.
- Apply this moisturizer after cleansing and toning, but right before your SPF in the morning.
- Gently press a small amount into your skin and let it absorb fully.
- Apply on clean, slightly dry skin to help control that oily shine.
- Avoid the eye area and do a quick patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.7Overall rating based on 300+ reviewsThis ultra-luxurious anti-aging cream is widely praised by users with dry and mature skin for its ability to deeply hydrate and visibly plump the complexion. While many report a subtle lifting effect and improved elasticity over time, the extremely high price point and rich texture make it a "splurge" product best reserved for those seeking a premium, sensory skincare ritual.
Highlights
Luxurious texture Mostly Mentioned
- “whipped butter consistency”
- “melts into skin”
- “rich but not heavy”
- “silky finish”
Extremely expensive Mostly Mentioned
- “hard to justify price”
- “way too pricey”
- “wallet hurts”
- “luxury splurge only”
Deep hydration Often Mentioned
- “skin feels plump”
- “instant glow”
- “erased dry patches”
- “moisturized all day”
Elegant packaging Sometimes Noted
- “beautiful moon jar”
- “looks like art”
- “stunning on vanity”
- “heavy and high-quality”
Firming effects Sometimes Noted
- “jawline looks sharper”
- “skin feels bouncier”
- “helped with sagging”
- “lines look softened”
Strong scent Sometimes Noted
- “smells like dirt”
- “overpowering herbal scent”
- “medicinal fragrance”
- “too strong for me”
Heavy for oily skin Rarely Noted
- “caused breakouts”
- “too greasy for day”
- “sat on top of skin”
- “clogged my pores”
Jar packaging Rarely Noted
- “unhygienic dipping”
- “wish it had a pump”
- “messy without spatula”
- “air exposure concerns”
Sources: lovi.care, sulwhasoo.com, nordstrom.com, bloomingdales.com, reddit.com, influenster.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Sulwhasoo The Ultimate S Cream work for oily skin?
Sulwhasoo The Ultimate S Cream offers moderate suitability for your oily skin, as it hydrates and smooths fine lines, though other products fit it better because they manage oily shine more effectively. To truly suit oily skin, a product of this type needs specialized ingredients to control excess shine alongside lightweight hydrating agents.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2013Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, 2013
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for oily skin?
Squalane and shea butter keep the skin soft, while hydrolyzed ginseng saponins and acetyl hexapeptide-8 help hydrate and smooth fine lines. This moisturizing treatment works for oily skin, though an oily skin type needs ingredients that specifically control excess shine.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2013Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, 2013
What do Ginseng Saponins do for oily skin?
Ginseng saponins help calm skin and may reduce excess oil and redness by tackling inflammation. A product for oily skin also needs lightweight hydrators and balancing ingredients to keep pores clear and the skin smooth.
What does Butyrospermum Parkii Butter do for oily skin?
Butyrospermum parkii butter is a rich ingredient that may feel too heavy for oily skin and can sometimes clog pores. For oily skin, a moisturizer needs lighter ingredients that hydrate without feeling greasy or heavy.
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This moisturizing treatment goes near the end of your morning and evening routines. It is unlikely to irritate your skin, though an oily skin type needs lightweight ingredients and oil-controlling elements to properly manage shine.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream with retinol, and applying it right after your retinol helps keep your skin soft while lowering the chance of dryness or irritation. When your skin is oily, a product of this type needs ingredients that help control shine and balance oil.
How often should I use this cream?
This moisturizing treatment works well as a daily step in your routine, helping keep your skin soft and smooth while being safe for daily use. For an average fit on oily skin like yours, a product of this type needs specialized oil-controlling ingredients to properly manage shine.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This cream is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for oily skin, as it has a safe profile with no harsh ingredients. However, because it lacks ingredients to control oil production, an oily skin type needs oil-absorbing or balancing ingredients to truly stay clear and shine-free.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this moisturizing treatment around the eyes or on the body, as it has a safe formula with a low risk of irritation. The skin around the eyes is exceptionally thin, making it well-suited to tolerate gentle hydrating ingredients like squalane and shea butter.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (parfum, benzyl salicylate, limonene, and linalool). Cetearyl alcohol and behenyl alcohol are fatty alcohols, which soften the skin.
What the research says
Argireline treatment twice daily for 4 weeks produced a significant anti-wrinkle effect with 48.9% total efficacy and decreased skin roughness in Chinese subjects compared with 0% efficacy and no decrease in roughness in the placebo group.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2013Argireline applied twice daily for 4 weeks achieved a total anti-wrinkle efficiency of 48.9% and notably reduced wrinkle depth compared to placebo in Chinese subjects.
Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, 2013Treatment with cross-linked hyaluronic acid-based microneedle patches combined with acetyl hexapeptide-8 or epidermal growth factor significantly improved wrinkles and skin hydration compared to the patch alone in Korean females over 29 days.
Annals of Dermatology, 2019Enzyme-modified ginseng extract cream significantly reduced the global photo-damage score and various roughness measures including total roughness, smoothness depth, and arithmetic roughness average compared to placebo in 23 human subjects.
Rejuvenation Research, 2015A red ginseng hydrogel formulation with 1,2-hexanediol promoted selective growth of Staphylococcus epidermidis and decreased Cutibacterium acnes in 20 female subjects.
Journal of Ginseng Research, 2022A 1% fermented black ginseng cream significantly reduced eye wrinkles and brightened skin color in twenty-three human subjects compared to control cream and baseline.
Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health. Part A, 2020A combination cream of stimu-tex AS and saccharide isomerate reduced erythema, increased skin capacitance, and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to placebo in 20 subjects after fractional CO2 laser procedure without causing serious adverse events.
Lasers in Medical Science, 2025A skin barrier restoring cream with shea butter, silkflo, and vitamin E increased type I procollagen synthesis, enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity, decreased reactive oxygen species generation, and promoted hyaluronic acid production in H2O2-stimulated human keratinocyte cells compared to untreated cells.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2025Squalane at 0.005-0.015% counteracts UVA-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and collagen metabolism inhibition while stimulating fibroblast migration in human dermal fibroblasts.
Molecules, 2025Plant-derived squalane protected human dermal fibroblasts against UVA-induced damage by counteracting ROS formation, suppressing apoptosis-related proteins p53, caspase-3, caspase-9, and PARP, and restoring the pro-survival p-Akt/mTOR pathway.
Antioxidants, 2025Acetyl hexapeptide-3 and tripeptide-10 citrulline demonstrated antiwrinkle efficacy and decreased transepidermal water loss in twenty-four healthy volunteers compared to control groups, though synergistic effects between the two peptides remained unclear.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2017Daily topical acetyl hexapeptide-8 showed a trend toward a longer time until return to baseline Jankovic Blepharospasm Rating Scale scores compared to placebo (3.7 months vs. 3.0 months) in 24 patients with blepharospasm receiving botulinum toxin therapy.
European Journal of Neurology, 2013Dissolving microneedles loaded with 3-O-ethyl ascorbic acid and acetyl hexapeptide-8 achieved higher cumulative transdermal delivery than aqueous solutions and significantly reduced photoaging signs while restoring oxidative balance in a UV/D-galactose-induced mouse model.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2026Topical application of an antioxidant serum containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol prevented particulate matter-induced degradation of extracellular matrix components, inflammation, and oxidative stress in the skin of 15 female volunteers compared to untreated controls.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Dermatological products containing d-alpha tocopheryl acetate showed non-comedogenic potential with less than a 50% increase in microcomedones in 12 healthy male subjects compared to octyl palmitate.
Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 2021Topical application of an antioxidant mix containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol prevented PM and UV-induced skin barrier perturbation, lipid peroxidation, inflammatory markers, MMP9 activation, and Type I collagen loss in 15 healthy females compared to untreated exposed skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Why other moisturizers fit oily skin better
A panthenol-enriched mask improved skin hydration, regulated sebum, and reduced redness and TEWL across dry sensitive, oily sensitive, and oily acne skin subgroups with excellent tolerance and no adverse reactions.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Ingredients
Water, Butylene Glycol, Triethylhexanoin, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Squalane, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Trisiloxane, 2-Hexanediol, Diisostearyl Malate, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Glyceryl Stearate, Peg-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Pentaerythrityl Distearate, Behenyl Alcohol, Polyglycerin-3, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Shea Butter, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Parfum, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Vp Copolymer, Hydroxypropyl Phosphate Starch, Hydrolyzed Ginseng Saponins Enzyme-Treated Red Ginseng Saponins, Glyceryl Caprylate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Sunflower Seed Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium Edta, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Propanediol, Sorbitan Isostearate, Polysorbate 60, Methoxy Peg-114 Polyepsilon Caprolactone, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract Carrot Root Extract, Benzyl Salicylate, Bioflavonoids, Hydrolyzed Proanthocyanidin, Honey, Miel, Limonene, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Rehmannia Glutinosa Root Extract, Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract, Lilium Candidum Bulb Extract, Polygonatum Odoratum Extract Rhizome, Linalool, Panax Ginseng Extract Berry, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Beta-Carotene, Tocopherol, Phytosphingosine, Sodium Polyaspartate, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Methyl Stearoyl Taurate, Acetyl Heptapeptide-4, Citric Acid, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Sodium Hydroxide, Acetyl Octapeptide-3
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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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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