The Secret K-Beauty Ingredient That Will Give You Glowing Skin for Years to Come

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For the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Who What Wear beauty director Erin Jahns sits down with cosmetic chemist Ron Robinson and award-winning editor and former Allure editor-in-chief Michelle Lee to share their top takeaways from Sulwhasoo's Skin Longevity Symposium. Keep scrolling for a peek into this insightful conversation.

Hi Ron and Michelle, welcome to the pod! So, we're here to talk through everything we learned from the Sulwhasoo Skin Longevity Symposium. Let's start with this: When should someone begin thinking about skin longevity and incorporating products that support things like collagen production and skin elasticity?

Michelle Lee: I would say in your 30s and 40s is when it would be important to get serious about skin longevity. I just turned 50 this year, and for me—not necessarily that I'm trying to look like I'm 20—but I want to make sure that I have the best skin that I can possibly have at 50.

Michelle, as someone who's worked in beauty for over 25 years, I'm curious about your personal take on anti-aging rhetoric today. How has the beauty industry's position on aging shifted over the years? And how do Sulwhasoo and Korean beauty at large fit into that?

ML: I have so many thoughts for you! To add a bit of context, back in 2017, I was the editor-in-chief of Allure, and we very famously banned the term "anti-aging." We did a cover with the amazing Helen Mirren that said "The End of Anti-Aging," [and] that truly sparked a global conversation. Now, it's so great that we see so many more women that are 50, 60, and 70-plus in ad campaigns, on the runway, and even just celebrities embracing their grays. It makes me really happy that brands like Sulwhasoo really put the emphasis more on skin longevity.

Let's talk about the star of the show: Ginseng. Last year, I had the opportunity to visit the Sulwhasoo labs in Seoul and get up close and personal with this hero ingredient. Ron, what makes it such a powerful ingredient in terms of skin longevity?

Ron Robinson: Ginseng is a root plant that's been used in traditional medicine for centuries. Sulwhasoo has been able to unlock the power of ginseng through this compound called compound K, which is actually 6000 times more potent, so it's really effective in terms of providing skin longevity and rejuvenation.

ML: After the talk today, I was saying I'm going to bathe in ginseng.

Definitely! We talk so much about skincare in relation to products and makeup, and I thought it was fascinating to also learn about the importance of studying skin as an extension of overall health and reframe it as an indicator of what's happening inside your body. What were some of the findings about that connection that stuck out?

ML: We sometimes forget that skin is our largest organ. I always think of your skin as your check engine light. Like, if something's happening on your skin—for example, I'm jet-lagged today—I can see it instantly on my skin; it looks a little bit grayer. I love the fact that the researchers are really digging into what's scientifically happening behind that and connecting the dots.

For our listeners who are interested in updating their routines to set themselves up for a lifetime of skin longevity, what are some practical tips that you would give them?

ML: For sure use ginseng, and you can incorporate it into your routine in a number of different ways. I love a serum. Thinking about your overall health is really important, too, as everything is interrelated. Things like sleeping well, de-stressing (which is hard to do), eating well, not getting too much sun. There's not much we can do about some things like pollution, but I think there's a lot of lifestyle of factors that we can address.

Of all the findings we heard today, what was something that surprised you or changed your approach to skincare moving forward?

RR: Sulwhasoo has unlocked the potential of ginseng in a significant way. It delivers benefits in terms of treating the skin, but also, more importantly, [it delivers] on skin longevity, which consumers are really interested in right now.

ML: The fact that they have merged a traditional ingredient and decades of research with modern science to extract the highest potency of that ingredient makes it really special. And like I said, I am going to be bathing in it!

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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