What types of ginseng are used in skincare?

Ginseng has been used in Asia for a very long time and has also become a valued ingredient in Korean skincare. But ginseng is not just a single ingredient. There are different species, different parts of the ginseng plant, and several ways to process the plant, which means you may come across everything from Panax ginseng and red ginseng to black or fermented ginseng.

In skincare, Korean ginseng in particular, Panax ginseng, is common. It contains several natural compounds, with ginsenosides being especially interesting. These compounds have been studied for, among other things, antioxidant and soothing properties, as well as how they affect processes linked to the skin barrier and skin aging.

However, which compounds are present in a ginseng raw material and in what amounts is affected by which part of the plant is used and how it has been processed. Therefore, two skincare products with ginseng may contain quite different forms of the ingredient.

What is Panax ginseng?

Panax ginseng is the species usually called Korean or Asian ginseng and is one of the most common ginseng species in both traditional use and modern skincare. When ginseng appears in Korean serums, essences, face creams, and masks, it is often Panax ginseng that is used.

An important reason for the interest in Panax ginseng is its content of ginsenosides. This is a group of natural compounds found in different parts of the plant and responsible for much of the research surrounding ginseng. Ginseng also contains, among other things, polysaccharides, polyphenols, and other plant compounds.

In skincare, Panax ginseng is primarily used for its antioxidant and skin-conditioning properties. The ingredient therefore often appears in products focusing on radiance, elasticity, hydration, and visible signs of aging.

However, that does not mean that all ingredients from Panax ginseng are identical. If you look at an ingredient list, for example, you may find Panax Ginseng Root Water, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, or Panax Ginseng Berry Extract. They come from the same plant, but describe different parts or forms of the raw material.

What different types of ginseng are there?

There are several species within the Panax genus, but when people talk about white, red, and black ginseng, it usually does not refer to three different species. Instead, the color describes how the ginseng has been processed after harvest.

The most common variants are:

• White ginseng: ginseng that has been dried without prior steaming.
• Red ginseng: ginseng that has been steamed and then dried.
• Black ginseng: ginseng that has undergone repeated rounds of steaming and drying.
• Fermented ginseng: ginseng that has also undergone a fermentation process.

The processing is important because heat and fermentation can change the chemical composition of ginseng. This applies especially to which ginsenosides are present and in what amounts. Red or black ginseng is therefore not just regular ginseng with a different color.

What is white ginseng?

White ginseng is produced by drying fresh Panax ginseng without first steaming it. The root therefore retains a relatively light color, which is the reason behind the name white ginseng.

Because no extensive heat treatment takes place, the ginsenoside profile remains closer to what is naturally found in the fresh root. That does not mean white ginseng is automatically better or worse than other variants. However, its composition differs from, for example, red and black ginseng because the heating of these transforms some of the plant’s natural compounds.

White ginseng can be used in extracts and other ginseng-based raw materials. In Korean skincare, however, it is often the INCI name itself, for example Panax Ginseng Root Extract, that is clearer than whether the raw material was originally marketed as white ginseng.

What is red ginseng?

Red ginseng is usually Panax ginseng that is first steamed and then dried. The process gives the root its characteristic reddish-brown color, but it does more than just change the appearance.

When ginseng is heated, its chemical composition also changes. Some ginsenosides decrease, while others are transformed or become more prominent. Red ginseng can therefore have a different ginsenoside profile than white ginseng.

That is one of the reasons why red ginseng has become interesting in skincare. Research on Korean red ginseng and its ginsenosides has examined, among other things, antioxidant mechanisms, inflammation, collagen, and processes linked to skin aging.

Red ginseng therefore often appears in Korean skincare products aimed at mature skin, loss of elasticity, dullness, or other visible signs of aging. However, how much effect an individual product provides depends on the amount of ginseng, the type of extract used, and the rest of the formulation.

What is black ginseng?

Black ginseng is a more processed variant of Panax ginseng. It is produced by steaming and drying the ginseng repeatedly, which gradually makes the root darker. Traditional methods are often described as involving up to nine rounds of steaming and drying, but the exact process can vary between manufacturers.

The repeated heat treatment changes the composition of ginseng even more than in the production of red ginseng. Several of the more common ginsenosides are transformed into less polar ginsenosides, and other compounds in the root also change.

This means that black ginseng may have a different profile of active plant compounds than both white and red ginseng. There is research on black ginseng and, among other things, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms, but research on black ginseng specifically in skincare is still more limited.

Black ginseng still appears in cosmetic formulations, primarily in products where the focus is on antioxidants, radiance, and signs of skin aging.

What is fermented ginseng?

Fermented ginseng is produced by treating ginseng with microorganisms, for example different bacteria or yeasts. In an ingredient list, this may appear as Lactobacillus/Panax Ginseng Root Ferment Filtrate.

Fermentation can change larger ginsenosides into smaller metabolites. This means that the chemical profile after fermentation is not exactly the same as before the process.

Fermentation is common in Korean skincare also for ingredients other than ginseng. The purpose is not only to be able to call an ingredient fermented, but the process can actually change which compounds are present in the finished raw material.

However, it is important not to conclude that fermented ginseng is always better than regular ginseng. The effect in a finished skincare product still depends on the quality of the raw material, concentration, and the product’s overall formulation.

What is the difference between red, black, and white ginseng?

The big difference between white, red, and black ginseng is therefore the processing, not necessarily which ginseng species is used.

It is therefore not possible to say that black, red, or white ginseng is generally best for the skin. They contain different profiles of plant compounds, while the formulation of the finished skincare product is also of great importance for the result.

What are ginsenosides?

Ginsenosides are a group of natural saponins and some of the most important bioactive compounds in Panax ginseng. There are a large number of different ginsenosides, and their composition varies depending on which part of the plant is used, how old the plant is, and how the ginseng has been processed.

This is also where the difference between, for example, white, red, and black ginseng becomes particularly interesting. When ginseng is steamed, dried, or fermented, certain ginsenosides can be transformed into other forms. Therefore, two raw materials from the same Panax ginseng plant can have different chemical compositions after processing.

In skin research, ginsenosides have been studied for, among other things:

• Antioxidant properties and protection against oxidative stress.
• Soothing and anti-inflammatory mechanisms.
• Processes linked to collagen and skin elasticity.
• The function of the skin barrier.
• Pigmentation and skin tone.
• The skin’s natural recovery.

That does not mean that a skincare product with ginseng automatically provides all of these effects. Much of the research examines individual ginsenosides in laboratory or animal models and not finished cosmetic products on humans. The result from a skincare product is also affected by concentration and formulation.

Different forms of Panax ginseng in skincare

The difference between various ginseng products does not end with white, red, and black ginseng. When you read the ingredient list on Korean skincare, Panax ginseng can appear in several different forms.

This is important because a ginseng water, a root extract, and a berry extract are not the same raw material, even though all of them come from Panax ginseng.

Panax Ginseng Root Water

Panax Ginseng Root Water is a water-based raw material from the ginseng root and sometimes appears as one of the first ingredients in Korean serums, essences, and other products.

However, the fact that a product contains a high proportion of ginseng water does not automatically mean that it contains more active ginseng compounds than a product with a lower proportion of concentrated ginseng extract. The concentration of, for example, ginsenosides depends on how the raw material was produced.

Panax Ginseng Root Extract

Panax Ginseng Root Extract is an extract from the ginseng root. The root is the part of Panax ginseng that has traditionally been used the most and contains, among other things, ginsenosides, polysaccharides, and other natural plant compounds.

Exactly which compounds and concentrations an extract contains depends on, among other things, the extraction method and the quality of the raw material. Two products that both list Panax Ginseng Root Extract therefore do not necessarily contain identical ginseng extracts.

Panax Ginseng Berry Extract

Ginseng berries can also be used in skincare. Panax Ginseng Berry Extract is derived from the plant’s berries rather than the root.

Both the root and the berries contain ginsenosides, but the distribution of different ginsenosides and other plant compounds varies between the parts of the plant. Berry extract should therefore be seen as an additional form of Panax ginseng rather than just another name for root extract.

Panax Ginseng Callus Culture Extract

Panax Ginseng Callus Culture Extract sounds more complicated than it is. Instead of extracting substances directly from a mature ginseng root, cultivated plant cells from Panax ginseng are used.

The plant cells are grown under controlled conditions and can produce various secondary metabolites from the ginseng plant. The extract from the cell culture is then used as a cosmetic raw material.

So it is still an ingredient originating from Panax ginseng, but the production method differs from a traditional root or berry extract.

What does ginseng do for the skin?

Ginseng is used in skincare primarily for its content of ginsenosides and other antioxidant plant compounds. Research is particularly interested in how these substances affect oxidative stress, inflammation, the skin barrier, and processes associated with skin aging.

Ginseng is therefore often used in skincare with a focus on:

• Providing the skin with antioxidant protection.
• Supporting a strong and well-functioning skin barrier.
• Giving radiance to tired and dull skin.
• Caring for mature skin and visible signs of aging.
• Helping the skin feel calmer and more balanced.

Ginseng is often found together with other ingredients such as niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, ceramides, peptides, and antioxidants. In this way, a product can combine the properties of ginseng with, for example, hydration or additional support for the skin barrier.

If you want to read more about the ingredient’s properties or find products that contain it, you can continue reading among our skincare with ginseng.

Which type of ginseng is best for the skin?

There is no single variety of ginseng that can be said to be best for all skin types. Red, black, white, and fermented ginseng differ in how they are processed and in which ginsenosides and other plant compounds are present in the finished raw material.

When choosing skincare, it is therefore better to look at the formulation of the entire product and what the product is developed for rather than choosing solely based on which type of ginseng is listed on the packaging.

For dry skin, for example, a cream with ginseng, ceramides, and moisturizing ingredients may be more relevant than what color the ginseng is. For dull or mature skin, a serum that combines ginseng with niacinamide, peptides, or other antioxidants may be a better choice.

The same principle applies to the amount of ginseng. A high percentage of Panax Ginseng Root Water cannot be directly compared with a lower concentration of a ginseng extract, since they are different types of raw materials.

So the most important thing is not whether the ginseng is black, red, or white, but which ginseng raw material is used, how it has been processed, how much active compounds it contains, and how the rest of the skincare product is formulated.