K-SECRET SEOUL 1988 Cream for oily skin

How to apply

Questions and answers

What the research says

• 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

• A multi-component dissolving microneedle patch loaded with glabridin, 3-O-ethyl-L-ascorbic acid, and tranexamic acid effectively reduced chloasma and age spots while demonstrating safety in clinical evaluation, alongside significant antioxidant, anti-tyrosinase, and melanin-reduction effects in vitro and in vivo.

  Polymers, 2023

• Dissolving 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, 2026

• Liposomal formulation of 3-O-ethyl-L-ascorbic acid enhanced skin retention and reduced UV-induced extracellular matrix degradation in skin explants compared to free EAA.

  Journal of Liposome Research, 2025

• 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

• 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

• Twice daily application of retinaldehyde 0.1% and 0.05% creams for 3 months improved skin texture and hydration and reduced transepidermal water loss in 40 female Korean volunteers, with only the 0.1% cream significantly improving the melanin index.

  Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2018

• Topical retinaldehyde demonstrated significant antibacterial activity against gram-positive bacteria both in vitro and in vivo, leading to decreased bacterial counts without inducing resistance.

  Dermatology, 2002

• Topical 0.05% retinaldehyde applied over 1 year significantly increased epidermal thickness of the temple and cutaneous elasticity compared to an emollient control group in 40 aging skin patients.

  Dermatology, 1999

Ingredients

Water, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Propanediol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Vp Copolymer, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Sodium Acrylate Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polyisobutene, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Lactobacillus Panax Ginseng Root Ferment Filtrate, Lactobacillus Soybean Extract Ferment, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Saccharomyces Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Ferment Filtrate, Saccharomyces Potato Extract Ferment Filtrate, Xanthan Gum, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Disodium Edta, Ethylhexylglycerin, Allantoin, Caprylyl Glycol, Adenosine, Glyceryl Acrylate Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Caprylyl Capryl Glucoside, Cholesterol, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Sorbitan Oleate, Brassica Campestris Sterols, Phytosteryl Behenyl Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Retinal, Silica, Aluminum Magnesium Hydroxide Stearate, Tocopherol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Arctium Lappa Root Extract, Cnidium Officinale Root Extract, Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, Rehmannia Chinensis Root Extract, 3-0-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Bakuchiol, Sh-Oligopeptide-1, Sh-Oligopeptide-2, Sh-Polypeptide-1

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.