How do I use this cream?

Apply as the last step of the routine, morning and/or night, smoothing over the whole face after serum or essence has absorbed.

Can I use this both morning and night?

Yes, most creams are suited to twice-daily use; some people prefer a lighter layer in the morning under sunscreen and a fuller layer at night.

Sulwhasoo

The Ultimate S cream (REFILL) 30ml

Name: Sulwhasoo The Ultimate S cream (REFILL) 30ml
Brand: Sulwhasoo
SKU: 9096653519
Price: 550.0 USD
Availability: InStock

Sulwhasoo The Ultimate S cream (REFILL) 30ml carries three separate ginseng forms on its own ingredient panel, including Hydrolyzed Ginseng Saponins (enzyme-treated Red Ginseng Saponins), Panax Ginseng Berry Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract.

No reviews yet

$550.00

30 ml

$1,833.33 per 100 ml

Korean-market formula
Ships from California or direct from Korea
Korean barcode and batch code intact

Suited to: NormalDryCombination

Helps with: Everyday moisturizingA sealing final step

One-time purchase

$550.00

SubscribeSave 10%

$495.00

In stock. Arrives in 3 to 7 business days

You’re $100.00 away from free US shipping.

30-day returns
Free US shipping on orders of $100 or more
Tracked delivery to your door

Verified authentic Shipping and returns

How it works

The panel on this cream names three forms of ginseng rather than one: Hydrolyzed Ginseng Saponins (enzyme-treated Red Ginseng Saponins), Panax Ginseng Berry Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract. The ginsenoside fraction of ginseng root broken into smaller pieces, usually with an enzyme acting on red ginseng. Smaller ginsenosides dissolve and spread more easily than the whole extract. On this panel it sits alongside Daucus Carota Sativa (carrot) Root Extract, Bioflavonoids and Hydrolyzed Proanthocyanidin. Carrot Root Extract carries carotenoids, which give it a strong orange colour. It is used as an antioxidant extract and can tint a formula.

Key benefits

Three forms of ginseng on one panel, not a single token inclusion
Daucus Carota Sativa (carrot) Root Extract on the same panel, the formula's plant extract
Bioflavonoids on the same panel, the formula's antioxidant
30 ml to a unit
Korean-market formula, with its Korean barcode and batch code intact on the box

Key actives

25Hydrolyzed Ginseng Saponins (enzyme-treated Red Ginseng Saponins)

The ginsenoside fraction of ginseng root broken into smaller pieces, usually with an enzyme acting on red ginseng. Smaller ginsenosides dissolve and spread more easily than the whole extract.

All products with Hydrolyzed Ginseng Saponins

35Daucus Carota Sativa (carrot) Root Extract

Carrot Root Extract carries carotenoids, which give it a strong orange colour. It is used as an antioxidant extract and can tint a formula.

All products with Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract

37Bioflavonoids

Bioflavonoids is a collective declaration for the flavonoid fraction of a plant extract, usually citrus. It names a class of plant antioxidants rather than one compound.

All products with Bioflavonoids

38Hydrolyzed Proanthocyanidin

Proanthocyanidins, the tannin polyphenols of grape seed and pine bark, broken into smaller water soluble fragments. The smaller pieces dissolve more readily than the whole polymer.

All products with Hydrolyzed Proanthocyanidin

47Panax Ginseng Berry Extract

Extract of the ginseng fruit rather than the root. The berry carries a different balance of ginsenosides and is harvested for only a short window each year.

All products with Panax Ginseng Berry Extract

49Panax Ginseng Root Extract

Ginseng Root Extract is the signature ingredient of Korean traditional skincare, carrying ginsenosides. It is used for the look of tired, dull skin, and brands often ferment it to break the ginsenosides into smaller forms.

All products with Panax Ginseng Root Extract

1 of 3

59 of 60 explained

Water / Aqua / Eau solvent: Water is the base almost every serum, toner and cream is built on. It dissolves the water-loving ingredients and sets how light the finished texture feels. On an INCI list it is usually first, which only means it is the largest single ingredient by weight.
Butylene Glycol humectant: Butylene Glycol is a small glycol that does two jobs at once: it holds water in the top layer of skin and it dissolves plant extracts and actives that plain water cannot. It also thins a formula, which is why watery Korean essences lean on it.
Triethylhexanoin emollient: Triethylhexanoin is a light ester emollient that softens skin and disperses pigment. It absorbs cleanly and is often used to thin a heavy oil phase.
Glycerin humectant: Glycerin is the most used humectant in skincare. It draws water into the outer layer of skin and holds it there, and it is one of the very few ingredients whose hydrating effect is settled science rather than marketing. Higher amounts feel tacky, which is why it is usually blended.
Dimethicone silicone: Dimethicone is the most used cosmetic silicone. It forms a breathable film that smooths the surface, slows water leaving skin, and gives the slip that makes a primer or cream feel silky. It is inert and does not penetrate.
Squalane emollient: Squalane is the stable, saturated version of squalene, a lipid human skin already makes. It is a light emollient that absorbs quickly, does not oxidise, and is one of the few oils widely considered safe for blemish-prone skin. Most cosmetic squalane is now from sugarcane or olive rather than shark.
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate emollient: Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate is a light ester emollient that gives a dry, silky finish and disperses pigment evenly.
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate emollient: Cetyl Ethylhexanoate is a synthetic ester used as a dry-feeling emollient. It spreads easily, leaves a silky rather than oily finish, and helps disperse pigments and UV filters evenly.
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate emulsifier: Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate is a sugar-derived emulsifier known for a light, non-soapy feel. It builds gel-creams that do not read as rich.
Trisiloxane silicone: Trisiloxane is a very short silicone chain, so it is thin and volatile. It spreads a formula quickly and leaves almost nothing behind.
1,2-hexanediol humectant: 1,2-Hexanediol is a glycol used for two reasons: it holds water like glycerin, and it makes a formula harder for microbes to live in, so less traditional preservative is needed. Korean formulas use it heavily for that second reason.
Diisostearyl Malate emollient: Diisostearyl Malate is a thick, glossy ester used to hold pigment in suspension and give a cushioned shine. It is the standard emollient in lip products.

47 more explained

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene emollient: Hydrogenated Polyisobutene is a stabilised synthetic hydrocarbon used in place of mineral oil. It is an emollient that leaves a smooth, cushioned film.
Glyceryl Stearate emulsifier: Glyceryl Stearate is glycerin joined to stearic acid, and one of the most used emulsifiers in skincare. It holds oil and water together and thickens the result, and it softens skin at the same time.
Peg-100 Stearate emulsifier: PEG-100 Stearate is a water-loving emulsifier almost always paired with glyceryl stearate. Together they form the standard cream base of the last fifty years.
Cetearyl Alcohol fatty alcohol: Cetearyl Alcohol is a waxy solid, not the drying kind of alcohol. It is a blend of cetyl and stearyl alcohols used to thicken a cream and keep oil and water from separating, and it softens skin as it does so.
Pentaerythrityl Distearate emollient: Pentaerythrityl Distearate is a firm wax ester. It thickens an oil phase and helps a stick or balm hold its shape.
Behenyl Alcohol fatty alcohol: Behenyl Alcohol is a long-chain fatty alcohol used to thicken and stabilise a cream. It gives a richer, more velvety body than cetyl alcohol.
Polyglycerin-3 humectant: Polyglycerin-3 is a short chain of glycerin units used as a gentler, less sticky humectant. It also helps oils and water stay blended.
Butyrospermum Parkii (shea) Butter emollient: Shea Butter is the fat pressed from the shea nut, rich in oleic and stearic acids and unsaponifiable plant sterols. It is a heavy emollient and partial occlusive, which is why it sits in balms and night creams rather than in essences.
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer thickener: This is the thickener behind most gel-cream textures. It builds a soft, bouncy gel that collapses to a light fluid as it is rubbed in.
Fragrance / Parfum fragrance: Fragrance, or Parfum, is a single declaration standing for a whole scent blend, which can be dozens of materials. Regulators allow it as a trade secret, so a list showing only this word does not say what the scent is made of. It is the most common trigger named by people with reactive skin.
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/vp Copolymer thickener: This is a synthetic thickener that gels quickly and holds an emulsion stable across a wide pH range. It gives a light, non-tacky body.
Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate thickener: Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate is a modified starch used to thicken and to take the sticky edge off a formula, leaving a powdery finish.
Hydrolyzed Ginseng Saponins (enzyme-treated Red Ginseng Saponins) plant extract: The ginsenoside fraction of ginseng root broken into smaller pieces, usually with an enzyme acting on red ginseng. Smaller ginsenosides dissolve and spread more easily than the whole extract.
Glyceryl Caprylate emulsifier: Glyceryl Caprylate is a mild emulsifier that also makes a formula less hospitable to microbes, so it is often part of a preservative-free system.
Helianthus Annuus (sunflower) Seed Oil emollient: Sunflower Seed Oil is high in linoleic acid, the fatty acid dry and blemish-prone skin is often short of. It is a light, non-fragrant emollient and one of the better tolerated plant oils.
Ethylhexylglycerin preservative booster: Ethylhexylglycerin softens skin and boosts a preservative system, which is why it is nearly always sitting beside phenoxyethanol or 1,2-hexanediol. It also cuts down the odour bacteria produce, so it turns up in deodorising products.
Disodium Edta chelator: EDTA is a chelator: it locks up trace metal ions from water and packaging that would otherwise turn a formula cloudy, off-colour or rancid. It does nothing to skin and appears at a fraction of a percent.
Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin solvent: Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin is a ring-shaped sugar that traps an active molecule inside itself, keeping it stable and releasing it slowly. It is a delivery shell rather than an active.
Propanediol humectant: Propanediol is a plant-derived glycol used in place of propylene glycol. It hydrates, carries actives into solution, and gives a lighter, less sticky slip than glycerin at the same strength.
Sorbitan Isostearate emulsifier: Sorbitan Isostearate is a mild emulsifier that holds water into oil, the direction a cleansing balm or an oil-based cream needs.
Polysorbate 60 emulsifier: Polysorbate 60 is a water-loving emulsifier used with a fatty co-emulsifier to build stable lotions and creams.
Methoxy Peg-114/polyepsilon Caprolactone emulsifier: A block polymer with a water-loving end and an oil-loving end. It stabilises an emulsion without a soap-type emulsifier.
Daucus Carota Sativa (carrot) Root Extract plant extract: Carrot Root Extract carries carotenoids, which give it a strong orange colour. It is used as an antioxidant extract and can tint a formula.
Benzyl Salicylate fragrance component: Benzyl Salicylate is a faint floral aromatic that also holds a fragrance on skin longer. It is one of the 26 fragrance components EU labelling requires to be named.
Bioflavonoids antioxidant: Bioflavonoids is a collective declaration for the flavonoid fraction of a plant extract, usually citrus. It names a class of plant antioxidants rather than one compound.
Hydrolyzed Proanthocyanidin antioxidant: Proanthocyanidins, the tannin polyphenols of grape seed and pine bark, broken into smaller water soluble fragments. The smaller pieces dissolve more readily than the whole polymer.
Limonene fragrance component: Limonene is the citrus-peel aromatic. It appears here because EU labelling requires 26 fragrance components to be named individually rather than hidden inside "fragrance", and it is one of them.
Hydrogenated Lecithin emulsifier: Hydrogenated Lecithin is lecithin with its unsaturated bonds filled in, which makes it far more stable. It emulsifies and is the standard shell for the liposomes that carry actives into the outer layer of skin.
Rehmannia Glutinosa Root Extract plant extract: Chinese foxglove root, one of the standing herbal roots of Korean medicine. Its extract carries iridoid glycosides and sugars and is used as a conditioning extract.
Paeonia Lactiflora Root Extract plant extract: Chinese peony root, one of the oldest ingredients in East Asian herbal practice. Its extract carries paeoniflorin and is used for the look of reddened, uneven skin.
Lilium Candidum Bulb Extract plant extract: Madonna lily bulb extract. The bulb is starchy and mucilaginous, so the extract hydrates and is used for the look of uneven tone.
Polygonatum Odoratum Rhizome Extract plant extract: Solomon's seal rhizome extract, the dungulle brewed as tea in Korea. It carries mucilage and sugars, so it hydrates and leaves a soft feel.
Linalool fragrance component: Linalool is a floral aromatic found in lavender, bergamot and coriander. It is one of the 26 fragrance components EU labelling requires to be declared by name.
Panax Ginseng Berry Extract plant extract: Extract of the ginseng fruit rather than the root. The berry carries a different balance of ginsenosides and is harvested for only a short window each year.
Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract plant extract: Lotus flower extract, from the same sacred lotus as the leaf. It carries flavonoids and sugars and is used as a conditioning, hydrating extract.
Panax Ginseng Root Extract plant extract: Ginseng Root Extract is the signature ingredient of Korean traditional skincare, carrying ginsenosides. It is used for the look of tired, dull skin, and brands often ferment it to break the ginsenosides into smaller forms.
Beta-carotene antioxidant: Beta-Carotene is an orange plant pigment and a vitamin A precursor. It is used as an antioxidant and it tints a formula, which is often why it is there.
Tocopherol antioxidant: Tocopherol is vitamin E. It is an oil-soluble antioxidant that protects the oils in a formula from going rancid and works on skin as an emollient, and it is regularly paired with vitamin C because each keeps the other going for longer.
Phytosphingosine barrier lipid: Phytosphingosine is the backbone every ceramide is built on, and skin uses it in its own lipid layer. In a formula it works with ceramides and cholesterol and also keeps the product stable against microbes.
Sodium Polyaspartate chelator: A biodegradable polymer of aspartic acid used in place of EDTA. It binds the metal ions in water that would otherwise break a formula down.
Caprylyl Glycol preservative booster: Caprylyl Glycol is a glycol that conditions skin and, more importantly, strengthens a preservative system so less of the traditional preservative is needed. It appears in most modern formulas built without parabens.
Sodium Methyl Stearoyl Taurate surfactant: A taurine-based surfactant. Taurates foam well while staying mild, and they keep working in hard water where a soap does not.
Acetyl Heptapeptide-4 peptide: A seven-amino-acid peptide with an acetyl group added for stability. It is used as a conditioning peptide for the look of firmness.
Citric Acid pH adjuster: Citric Acid is used in tiny amounts to bring a formula to the pH its actives need, not as an exfoliant at that level. It is an AHA, so at much higher concentrations it can also exfoliate.
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 peptide: Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 is a six-amino-acid peptide used for the look of expression lines, particularly around the eyes. It is the peptide sold under the name Argireline and is water soluble and stable.
Sodium Hydroxide pH adjuster: Sodium Hydroxide is a strong base used in traces to bring an acidic formula up to skin-friendly pH. None of it remains as itself once the formula is neutralised.
Acetyl Octapeptide-3 peptide: Acetyl Octapeptide-3 is an eight-amino-acid peptide used for the look of expression lines. It is usually paired with acetyl hexapeptide-8 rather than used alone.

Inside the formula

Ingredients declared

#22

Fragrance on the list

25Hydrolyzed Ginseng35Daucus Carota47Panax Ginseng

25Hydrolyzed Ginseng
35Daucus Carota
47Panax Ginseng

Where each key active sits on the declared ingredient list, by entry number. Position is proportion: the further forward, the larger its share.

How to use

Apply as the last step of the routine, morning and/or night, smoothing over the whole face after serum or essence has absorbed.

Worth knowing

On oilier skin, a thinner layer at night rather than morning is a common starting point.

Complete the routine

This itemSulwhasoo The Ultimate S cream (REFILL) 30ml$550.00
Cleanse first, so the next step meets bare skinSulwhasoo Signature Ginseng Facial Soap 120g X 2ea$82.50
The last step of the morning, over everything elseSulwhasoo MEN UV Defense Protector 50ml SPF50+ PA++++$52.50

Total for 3 items$685.00

Reviews

No reviews yet. Tell us how much you love the product!

Write a review

Sulwhasoo The Ultimate S cream (REFILL) 30ml

How it felt, how your skin took it, what you layer it with. Straight answers help the next person choose.

Read every customer review

Sulwhasoo, Korean-market original

Sulwhasoo cream, The Ultimate S cream (REFILL) 30ml, sourced for the Korean market rather than reformulated for US retail.

Verify your unit when it arrives

Korean-market stock with the original barcode and batch code intact, exactly as it left Korea.

On the unit itself

The Korean-market barcode, unaltered from the retail package.
The manufacturer’s batch code, exactly as the maker printed it.

정품Genuine article, Korean-market stock

What professionals say

What skin-care professionals say about skin care, quoted from the medical sources linked beside each.

Rich in antioxidants, topical ginseng can help to reduce the appearance of various signs of premature aging and repair and protect the skin.
Yunyoung Claire Chang, MDDermatologist, Yahoo Lifestyle
Pretty much every step of a Korean skin care routine is going to have some component of hydration.
Alok Vij, MDDermatologist, Cleveland Clinic