Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Serum for dry skin
Panax Ginseng Extract
Niacinamide
RetinolAverage
- AverageDry Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for dry skin; other serums 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 suitability for your dry skin, as Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil and Glycerin provide emollient and humectant actions to hydrate and soften. Acetyl heptapeptide-4 and acetyl hexapeptide-8 also contribute to minimizing fine lines and wrinkles, offering some anti-aging benefits.
- The inclusion of honey and ginseng extracts offers soothing benefits, and while the product provides general hydration, it lacks a higher concentration of intensely hydrating ingredients for optimal results for your dry or flaky skin.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your dry skin due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Apply this serum PM, starting 3×/week and working up to daily use as your skin adjusts.
- Place the serum after cleansing and toner, but right before your moisturizer.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and let it absorb for a minute.
- Apply the serum on slightly damp skin to help lock in extra moisture.
- Avoid the eye area and do a patch test before your first use.
People Say
★4.2Overall rating based on 500+ reviewsUsers 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 dry skin?
Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Serum works moderately well for dry skin, providing general hydration and softening while minimizing fine lines. However, because your skin needs rich ingredients that heavily target hydration and skin barrier support, a product of this type needs intensive moisture boosters, ceramides, and nourishing plant oils to give dry skin optimal results.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2013Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2017
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for dry skin?
Limnanthes alba seed oil and glycerin help make this serum a good fit for dry skin by softening and hydrating it. However, because your dry skin needs intensely hydrating ingredients, skin barrier support, ceramides, and vitamin C for optimal results, this product of this type needs those ingredients.
What does Panax Ginseng Extract do for dry skin?
Panax ginseng extract helps dry skin by keeping moisture locked in and preventing dryness, roughness, and flaking. Studies show it supports skin hydration, improves moisture retention, and helps maintain a smooth, soft feel.
Journal of Ginseng Research, 2017Journal of Medicinal Food, 2009
What does Ginseng do for dry skin?
Ginseng helps hydrate dry skin and prevents moisture loss by supporting natural skin-plumping factors and barrier protection. It may improve overall skin moisture levels to keep skin feeling soft and smooth.
Journal of Ginseng Research, 2017Journal of Ginseng Research, 2018
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for dry skin?
This treatment goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before moisturizing, though products of this type for dry skin also need rich, deeply hydrating ingredients for the best results.
Can I use this serum with vitamin C, and in what order?
You can use this serum with vitamin C by applying vitamin C first in the morning or evening, followed by this treatment once it absorbs. This product is unlikely to cause irritation on your dry skin, though a product of this type needs more intensely hydrating ingredients to give this skin optimal results.
How often should I use this serum?
You can use this treatment in the evening as part of your routine. While it offers moderate suitability for dry skin, a product of this type needs a higher concentration of intensely hydrating ingredients, such as richer oils or heavy butter bases, to fully soften and comfort dry skin.
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry skin?
This serum is unlikely to clog pores, cause breakouts, or lead to purging on dry skin, as it has an excellent safety profile without harsh ingredients. It helps hydrate dry skin and soften fine lines with plant oils, honey, and peptides.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2013Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2017
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, 2013Acetyl 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, 2017Argireline 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, 2013A 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, 2017Enzyme-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, 2020Topical 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, 2021Topical 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, 2008Topical 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, 2005Topical 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, 2017Topical 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, 2019Silicone 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 dry skin better
Treatment with 14% ferulic acid and 12% l-ascorbic acid significantly reduced pigmentation and erythema while improving hydration and elasticity in 20 women with photoaged skin, with neither acid proving definitively more effective overall though ascorbic acid showed slightly greater skin lightening.
Dermatologic Therapy, 2022
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.
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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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