Beauty of Joseon vs Su:m37° — side by side, no bias.
Our pick
Secret Essence
8.8/10 · Su:m37°
| Ginseng Essence Water | Secret Essence | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Beauty of Joseon | Su:m37° |
| Category | essence | essence |
| Editor Rating | 8.7/10 | 8.8/10 ★ |
| Category | essence | essence |
| Texture | Lightweight watery essence | Clear watery essence |
| Finish | Plumped, energized | Luminous absorbed |
| Skin Types |
| Targets |
| Pros |
|
|
| Cons |
|
|
| Verdict | Beauty of Joseon's hero essence — Panax ginseng root water as #1 ingredient (genuine 80% ginseng water, not water + token ginseng), 2% niacinamide, 0.04% adenosine, plus a Lactobacillus/ginseng ferment filtrate that adds postbiotic credibility on top of the hanbang positioning. The 24-ingredient deck reads like a hanbang research formula: ginseng root water → callus culture extract → root extract → berry extract → ferment filtrate stack the same active four ways for layered delivery. 4.9★ rating from 1,200+ reviews on the brand site, $18 for 150ml is the value proposition that put BoJ on the global K-beauty map. | LG's answer to SK-II Pitera — a naturally fermented essence that takes 50+ days in controlled fermentation tanks. The glow is real, the texture is water-thin, and the ferment is genuinely different from galactomyces. If SK-II is the J-beauty first treatment essence, Su:m37° is the K-beauty equivalent. |
