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Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Serum for combination skin

Average

  • AverageCombination Skin Fit
  • AverageEffectiveness
  • HighSafety

Works for combination skin; other serums fit it better.

This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with combination skin: an oily T-zone, enlarged pores, and dry cheeks. 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 plumping and firming for your combination skin due to acetyl heptapeptide-4 and acetyl hexapeptide-8, which provide supportive hydration but are not specifically targeted for oily shine. Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil and Panax Ginseng Seed Oil offer emollient action, which is beneficial for combination skin, but a lack of stronger seboregulating ingredients may limit optimal results for oilier areas.
  • The product provides general skincare benefits like hydration and soothing, primarily due to glycerin and betaine, which are supportive but not directly addressing your oily shine.
  • The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your combination skin due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients and the presence of soothing ingredients like honey and ginseng extracts.

How to apply

  • Use your serum as part of your PM routine. Start using it 3 times a week and move to daily use if your skin likes it.
  • Apply the serum after cleansing and toner, and right before your moisturizer.
  • Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and wait a minute ⏳for it to soak in.
  • Apply the serum on clean and dry skin since your skin is not sensitive.
  • Always do a patch test before using the serum for the first time, and avoid the eye area .

People Say

★4.2Overall rating based on 500+ reviews

Users with aging, dry, or dull skin consistently report that this serum delivers visible improvements in firmness, elasticity, and overall radiance. While the herbal scent is polarizing, the majority of reviewers describe it as a luxurious, lightweight addition to their routine that effectively smooths fine lines and deeply hydrates without leaving a sticky residue.

Highlights

  • Fast Absorption Mostly Mentioned
    • “Absorbs almost instantly”
    • “sinks deep into skin”
    • “lightweight and non-greasy”
  • High Price Mostly Mentioned
    • “Outrageously priced”
    • “wallet hurts”
    • “wish it was cheaper”
  • Deep Hydration Often Mentioned
    • “Skin drinks it up”
    • “baby soft skin”
    • “deep and long-lasting hydration”
  • Radiant Glow Often Mentioned
    • “100% glowier”
    • “radiant glow”
    • “face looks smooth and glowy”
  • Visible Firming Often Mentioned
    • “Skin feels bouncier”
    • “noticed firmness after usage”
    • “tightens my skin”
  • Luxurious Scent Sometimes Noted
    • “Smells like a spa”
    • “love the ginseng scent”
    • “very luxurious and herbal”
  • Strong Scent Sometimes Noted
    • “Scent is quite intense”
    • “unpleasant herbal smell”
    • “too strong for me”
  • Skin Reactions Rarely Noted
    • “Caused small CCs”
    • “tiny blemishes popped up”
    • “broke me out”
  • Small Quantity Rarely Noted
    • “Finished too quickly”
    • “expensive for the size”
    • “wish bottle was bigger”

Sources: lovi.care, influenster.com, sephora.my, sephora.sg, sephora.com.au, reddit.com, and more

Questions and answers

How well does Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Serum work for combination skin?

This serum works for combination skin, though other products fit it better because it offers moderate firming and supportive hydration without ingredients that specifically target oily shine. A treatment of this type needs ingredients like niacinamide and zinc PCA or propolis to regulate oiliness and balance combination skin.

American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2013Annals of Dermatology, 2019

Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for combination skin?

Acetyl heptapeptide-4, acetyl hexapeptide-8, Limnanthes alba seed oil, and panax ginseng seed oil make this serum a good fit for combination skin by offering supportive hydration and soft smoothing. To work best for this skin type, a product of this kind needs ingredients like niacinamide, propolis, or zinc PCA that regulate oiliness and manage oily shine.

American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2013Annals of Dermatology, 2019

What does Panax Ginseng Extract do for combination skin?

Panax ginseng extract helps smooth rough areas and keeps dry and oily patches balanced by supporting skin firmness and moisture. It may also help calm the skin and reduce irritation, making it a great addition for maintaining an even, healthy look.

Journal of Ginseng Research, 2017Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2007

What does Ginseng do for combination skin?

Ginseng helps improve skin elasticity and water content while reducing signs of aging for combination skin. It also helps calm the skin and keep it smooth by providing antioxidant benefits.

Journal of Ginseng Research, 2017Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2018

Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for combination skin?

This serum goes in the evening routine, after cleansing and before moisturizing, though some serums can also be used in the morning or twice a day. Combination skin works best with products that balance moisture while helping control oil in shinier areas.

Can I use this serum with vitamin C, and in what order?

You can use this serum with vitamin C by applying your vitamin C first in the morning, letting it absorb completely, and then using this treatment in your evening routine. This approach is unlikely to cause irritation for your combination skin, but to get the best results for oilier areas, this type of product needs added oil-controlling ingredients.

How often should I use this serum?

Use this treatment in your evening routine for simplicity and extra safety around sun exposure. Combination skin needs products with stronger oil-balancing ingredients and supportive hydrators to handle both dry and oily areas effectively.

Facial Plastic Surgery, 2014

Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for combination skin?

This serum is unlikely to cause breakouts or clogging for your combination skin because it has an excellent safety profile without harsh ingredients, though a product of this type needs stronger oil-balancing ingredients to manage oily shine on combination skin.

Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

It contains fragrance (parfum) and drying alcohol (alcohol).

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, 2013
  • Treatment 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, 2019
  • Acetyl 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, 2017
  • A mixture of Panax ginseng and Crataegus pinnatifida prevented skin aging by improving procollagen type I expression, diminishing matrix metalloproteinase-1 secretion, reducing skin roughness and photodamage scores, and decreasing loss of skin moisture in human dermal fibroblasts and healthy human skin.

    Journal of Ginseng Research, 2017
  • Enzyme-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, 2015
  • A 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, 2022
  • A 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, 2020
  • Topical post-laser application of human adipocyte-derived mesenchymal stem cell media combined with niacinamide significantly improved wrinkle index, melanin index, patient satisfaction, and investigator esthetic improvement scores compared to vehicle cream in patients with aging skin.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021
  • Topical nicotinamide prevented solar-simulated UV-induced immunosuppression in healthy volunteers, and men experienced immunosuppression at solar-simulated UV doses three times lower than those required for women.

    The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2008
  • Topical 5% niacinamide applied twice daily for 12 weeks reduced fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmented spots, red blotchiness, and skin sallowness, and improved skin elasticity compared to vehicle control in 50 female white subjects with facial photoaging.

    Dermatologic Surgery, 2005
  • Topical 0.4% retinol significantly increased epidermal thickness, dermal vascularity, and extracellular matrix production by stimulating keratinocyte proliferation, endothelial cell proliferation, and fibroblast activation in naturally aged human skin compared to vehicle.

    International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2017
  • Topical bakuchiol 0.5% applied twice daily compared with retinol 0.5% applied daily significantly decreased wrinkle surface area and hyperpigmentation with no statistical difference between the compounds in 44 patients over 12 weeks, while retinol users reported more facial skin scaling and stinging.

    The British Journal of Dermatology, 2019
  • Silicone particles encapsulating retinol increased its half-life by 9-fold and yielded 12-23% lower skin irritation in human subjects compared to Microsponge particles while maintaining biological activity.

    Journal of Controlled Release, 2018

Why other serums fit combination skin better

  • Niacinamide and ferulic acid incorporated in a stable multiple emulsion successfully reduced melanin, sebum, and skin erythema while improving skin elasticity and hydration in human skin compared to a placebo.

    BioMed Research International, 2022
  • 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, Glycerin, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Methyl Gluceth-20, Betaine, Behenyl Alcohol, Methoxy Peg-114 Polyepsilon Caprolactone, Carbomer, Jojoba Esters, Tromethamine, Hydrolyzed Ginseng Saponins Enzyme-Treated Red Ginseng Saponins, Parfum, Glyceryl Caprylate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium Edta, Dextrin, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Panax Ginseng Seed Oil, Panax Ginseng Stem Extract Leaf, Honey Mel Miel, Rehmannia Glutinosa Root Extract, Panax Ginseng Flower Extract, Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract, Lilium Candidum Bulb Extract, Polygonatum Odoratum Extract Rhizome, Retinol, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Alcohol, Glucose, Tocopherol, Caprylyl Glycol, Bht, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Phytosphingosine, Sodium Polyaspartate, Sodium Methyl Stearoyl Taurate, Acetyl Heptapeptide-4, Sodium Hydroxide, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, 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.

How does it fit your skin?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.