Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Moist Sun Serum for combination skin
Panax Ginseng Extract
Niacinamide
Sodium Hyaluronate
Ethylhexyl Triazone
Adenosine
Average
- AverageCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for combination skin; other sunscreens 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 suitability for your combination skin, as Panax Ginseng Root Extract and Niacinamide provide antioxidant activity and seboregulation to help manage oily shine.
- The formula includes Glycerin and Tocopherol for general hydration, which supports your skin, but it lacks specialized ingredients to directly target oily shine.
- The product is safe for your combination skin with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Apply this moisturizing sunscreen AM daily to protect your skin and control shine. Reapply as needed throughout the day.
- Use it as the final step of your morning routine after applying your moisturizer. It combines hydration and sun protection in one.
- Gently smooth a nickel-sized amount evenly over your face, avoiding harsh rubbing. Let it absorb fully before putting on makeup.
- Apply it directly to clean, dry skin for the best oil-controlling finish. Ensure your face is completely dry so the product sets properly.
- Avoid the immediate eye area during application. Do a patch test before your first use to check for any sensitivity.
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 600+ reviewsThis product is widely praised as a hybrid skincare-sunscreen with a lightweight, gel-like texture that leaves no white cast, making it ideal for dry or dehydrated skin types seeking a "glass skin" glow. It is polarizing for those with oily skin due to its potentially greasy finish, and sensitive users frequently cite eye stinging and a strong herbal fragrance as significant drawbacks.
Highlights
No white cast Mostly Mentioned
- “Applies seamlessly and does not leave a white cast.”
- “Completely invisible... suitable for dark skin.”
- “Transparent color with a slight yellowish tint that disappears.”
- “No issues at all with white cast.”
Dewy glass skin finish Often Mentioned
- “Imparts a gorgeous glow that's never sticky.”
- “Leaves a feathery, light, moisturized finish.”
- “Gives that glass skin look.”
- “Skin looks plump and glowy immediately after application.”
Lightweight gel texture Often Mentioned
- “Applies like a thicker bouncy serum and sinks in effortlessly.”
- “Gel-like texture is very smooth and lightweight.”
- “Melts into my skin and absorbs instantly.”
- “Spreads so well... really refreshing to use.”
Greasy on oily skin Often Mentioned
- “Just makes me look greasy... sits on top.”
- “Too dewy/shiny for my oily combination skin.”
- “Finish is somewhat too dewy... deeming it too shiny.”
- “Looks like I just applied makeup in a bad way.”
Added skincare benefits Sometimes Noted
- “Ginseng extract deeply hydrates my skin.”
- “Niacinamide helps with brightening and pore care.”
- “Feels like a moisturizer... helps diminish wrinkles.”
- “Nourishing and enhances skin elasticity.”
Convenient pump packaging Sometimes Noted
- “Love the airless pump, very convenient to use.”
- “Pump makes applying the necessary amount easier.”
- “Hygienic and easy to travel with.”
- “Sturdy packaging that doesn't spill.”
Stings eyes Sometimes Noted
- “Burns your eyes SO MUCH.”
- “Had to remove it immediately because of the burning.”
- “Can sting eyes... sensitive eyes should be careful.”
- “Caused tearing and irritation throughout the day.”
Strong herbal scent Sometimes Noted
- “Scent is unique... includes jasmine and baby dolls.”
- “Find the scent overpowering... not a fan.”
- “Has a distinct ginseng smell.”
- “Smell is initially very strong but dissipates.”
Potential irritation Rarely Noted
- “Face will be red and burning for five minutes.”
- “Broke me out... contains olive oil and essential oils.”
- “Contains alcohol that could irritate sensitive skin.”
- “Not for sensitive skin... caused redness.”
Sources: lovi.care, oliveyoung.com, stylekorean.com, skinsort.com, yesstyle.com, stylevana.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Sun Serum work for combination skin?
This product works moderately well for your combination skin because it helps manage oily shine and provides general hydration without causing irritation. However, a product of this type needs specialized ingredients to directly target oily shine, along with ceramides and centella asiatica to keep combination skin balanced without excess oiliness or dryness.
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for combination skin?
Panax Ginseng Root Extract and Niacinamide help manage oily shine on combination skin through antioxidant activity and oil control. To work best for this skin type, this kind of product needs ceramides and centella asiatica to provide hydration without heaviness or excess oiliness.
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 Niacinamide do for combination skin?
Niacinamide helps balance oily areas by reducing excess shine and pore size while keeping dry patches hydrated and smooth. It also works to calm redness and even out skin tone, making it very suitable for combination skin.
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for combination skin?
This moisturizing sunscreen goes last in your morning routine, right after your moisturizer. A product of this type needs specialized ingredients to directly target oily shine for combination skin.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this moisturizing SPF in the morning after your retinol routine or on non-retinol days. It is safe for your skin with no risk of irritation, though combination skin needs extra oil-absorbing ingredients to better manage shine.
How often should I use this serum?
Apply this moisturizing spf in the morning as the final step of your daytime routine to protect against sun exposure. Reapply throughout the day as needed when exposed to direct sunlight.
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for combination skin?
This serum is unlikely to cause breakouts or clog pores on combination skin, and it does not cause purging because it lacks active ingredients that speed up cell turnover. However, because it lacks specialized ingredients to directly target oily shine, combination skin needs products that combine lightweight hydration with targeted oil-controlling ingredients.
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no fragrance and contains drying alcohol (alcohol).
What the research says
A topical serum containing vitamin C, vitamin E, and raspberry leaf cell culture extract improved skin color, elasticity, radiance, smoothness, scaliness, and wrinkles compared to the untreated contralateral side in fifty female volunteers.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020A 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, 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 application of 0.1% hyaluronic acid formulations of different molecular weights led to significant improvements in skin hydration and elasticity, with low-molecular-weight formulations also significantly reducing wrinkle depth in seventy-six female subjects compared to a vehicle control.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011Topical application of hyaluronic acid in conjunction with free gingival graft significantly reduced donor site postoperative pain until day 7 compared to normal saline, with no significant differences in graft dimensions or patient satisfaction.
Clinical Oral Investigations, 2022Treatment with a hyaluronic acid-containing mouth rinse or topical gel led to significant lesion reduction, pain relief, and normalization of lesion color in adult patients with minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis, with the gel formulation showing an earlier healing onset at 3 days.
BMC Oral Health, 2019Microencapsulation of ethylhexyl triazone in lipid microparticles significantly reduced its in vivo human stratum corneum penetration by 45.7% compared to the nonencapsulated sunscreen.
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2019A topical sunscreen containing octyl triazone, phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid, and methylbenzylidene camphor prevented UVB-induced suppression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 expression and mixed-lymphocyte reaction in epidermal cell cultures compared to control sunscreens with comparable SPF lacking octyl triazone.
Toxicology in Vitro, 1994Topical adenosine treatment significantly increased the anagen hair growth rate and thick hair rate compared to placebo in Japanese women with female pattern hair loss over 12 months.
The Journal of Dermatology, 2008Topical application of a disodium adenosine monophosphate-based formulation reduced wrinkles and hyperpigmentation while improving hydration, barrier function, skin lifting, and epidermal turnover in female participants.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2026Adenosine and cordycepin stimulate the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway through adenosine receptor and PKA activation, promoting cell proliferation, migration, and growth factor secretion in cultured dermal fibroblasts.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2021
Ingredients
Water, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Dibutyl Adipate, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol, Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Alcohol, Acrylates Copolymer, Butyloctyl Salicylate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Niacinamide, Phenethyl Benzoate, Panax Ginseng Extract Berry, Panax Ginseng Stem Extract Leaf, Silica, Methylpropanediol, Olea Europaea Oil Fruit Olive Oil Fruit, Amyris Balsamifera Oil Bark, Angelica Archangelica Oil Root, Citrus Aurantium Amara Oil Twig Leaf, Ferula Galbaniflua Oil Resin, Jasmine Oil, Isoamyl P-Methoxycinnamate, Polysilicone-15, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, 1,2-Hexanediol, Dibutyl Lauroyl Glutamide, Pentylene Glycol, Dibutyl Ethylhexanoyl Glutamide, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Vp Copolymer, Sodium Acrylates Crosspolymer-2, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, C30-45 Alkyldimethylsilyl Polypropylsilsesquioxane, Hydroxyacetophenone, Adenosine, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Ethyl Hexanediol, Tocopherol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Disodium Edta
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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