Ginseng in Korean Beauty

Ginseng (insam, 인삼) is one of the oldest flavors on the Korean table. A whole root swells in the broth of samgyetang, and it is also steeped as tea. The plant's standing in Korean food and herbal practice is covered in ginseng and traditional teas. Gaeseong, a city long associated with ginseng, appears in Gaeseong cuisine.

From the kitchen to the dressing table

Korean medicine, called hanbang, treats food and remedy as close relatives (see yaksik-dongwon), and ginseng sits in both. That habit of thought shaped the beauty industry. According to a Korea JoongAng Daily profile of Korea's largest cosmetics company, its researchers began working on herbal cosmetics made from ginseng in 1967, patented a ginseng extract in 1972, and in 1973 released a product described as the first cosmetic containing ginseng in Korea. A line combining ginseng with other herbal ingredients followed in 1987, and a dedicated herbal brand in 1997. For the wider tradition, see hanbang beauty and Joseon cosmetics.

Ginseng extract is now a familiar ingredient in creams, essences and masks. A 2024 review in the Journal of Ginseng Research describes ginseng root extract as in cosmetic use since the 1980s and among the most widely used plant materials in the field. Different parts may be used, including the root, the berries and the pressed residue left after red ginseng is made.

What the research shows

That review is a narrative review, not a systematic one, and its evidence comes largely from cell cultures (skin fibroblasts, keratinocytes and pigment cells) and from animals such as UV-exposed hairless mice. It says it remains unclear which component is responsible for any effect, naming ginsenosides, a protein called gintonin and by-products as candidates, and it notes that results depend on how the extract is prepared. It does not report a human trial of a ginseng cream.

Human evidence on skin is thin. A 2022 overview of fermented cosmetic raw materials mentions a small 8-week study of 23 people using fermented black ginseng, but that review itself says human evidence for such ingredients is sparse and based on small samples.

Cautions

• Topical safety is not well established. The U.S. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health states there is not enough reliable information to know whether Asian ginseng applied to the skin is safe, and notes it might cause irritation and burning.
• Patch-test. Try any new ginseng product on a small area first, and stop if you notice redness, itching or stinging.
• Eating ginseng is a separate question. The same NCCIH page lists possible effects of oral use, including insomnia, and potential interactions with medications such as those for blood clotting and diabetes, so check with a clinician if you take medicines.

Bottom line

Ginseng's presence in cosmetics rests on a long food and herbal tradition and on laboratory studies. Whether a ginseng cream does anything measurable for human skin is not well established. It can be appreciated as part of the tradition without expecting a specific result.