Real hanbang heritage, backed by a major lab
Sooryehan isn’t an indie brand borrowing herbal language for its packaging. It belongs to LG Household & Health Care, one of South Korea’s largest beauty conglomerates, and draws on the company’s dedicated research center for the cosmetic applications of traditional Korean medicine. Old formulas, current formulation science.
Ginseng and fermentation doing the heavy lifting
Every core line is built around Korean ginseng in some form — red, black, white, or wild — often paired with fermented herbal extracts and snow mushroom (Tremella). The Hyobidam collection, for example, centers on Baekhyodan, a fermented wild ginseng complex, alongside wild ginseng sourced from Mount Jiri. The focus is firmness, hydration, and fine lines.
Luxury texture without top-shelf pricing
Sooryehan sits below The History of Whoo in LG’s portfolio, which is the point. It offers premium herbal skincare at a more accessible price — rich creams, ornate bottles, and full multi-step sets you can actually justify buying twice.
What Sooryehan Is
Sooryehan (수려한) is a Korean skincare brand rooted in hanbang — the traditional Korean approach to herbal medicine. The name suggests refined, graceful beauty, and the brand’s whole positioning follows from that: quiet luxury, warm herbal scents, and formulas that treat skin as something to be restored rather than corrected.
The Hanbang Philosophy, Applied
Hanbang skincare doesn’t chase a single hero acid. It works on the idea of balance — supporting the skin’s own energy, circulation, and moisture retention so that texture, tone, and elasticity improve together. In practice, that translates to layered routines: a watery essence-toner, a nourishing emulsion, then a cream, each one feeding the next.
Sooryehan’s contribution is extraction and fermentation technique. Fermented ginseng breaks larger saponin molecules into smaller, more absorbable forms, which is why so many of the brand’s essences feel lightweight despite being densely packed. It’s tradition filtered through a lab.
The Lines Worth Knowing
Hyobidam — the flagship fermented range. The Fermented Toner combines 100-day fermented ginseng with Tremella fuciformis extract for dry, rough skin, and the line extends to essence, cream, eye cream, cleansing foam, sunscreen, and overnight packs. Start here if you want the full experience.
Bon — the moisture specialist. Built around a ginseng root complex, the Bon Extra Moisture Cream is the brand’s answer to tight, dehydrated skin and compromised barriers. A common winter staple.
Bichaek Jadan — the brightening and elasticity line, extending into base makeup with cushion foundations and a lightweight SPF50+ PA+++ sunscreen formulated with herbs traditionally used to calm redness and dullness.
The Black — the newest and most technical. Its key ingredient is Black Exosome™, a proprietary LG active developed from research on Cymbidium orchids, aimed squarely at visible aging.
Ginseng, Yeon, Chunsam, Boyun — supporting ranges covering ampoules, base makeup, men’s sets, and everyday hydration.
Who It Suits
Sooryehan is a strong fit for normal to dry skin, mature skin, and anyone whose main concerns are elasticity, dullness, and fine lines rather than active acne. The textures lean rich and the fragrance is present — pleasant, herbal, and distinctly traditional, but noticeable. If you’re highly fragrance-sensitive, patch test first or look to the lighter Hyobidam essence layers.
Building a Routine
Cleanse with a hanbang foam, then apply the essence-toner to damp skin and press it in with your palms rather than wiping. Follow with an emulsion, then a cream, and finish with sunscreen in the morning. Two to three layers of a watery essence beat one heavy application — that layering habit is where most of the visible payoff comes from.
Give it eight to twelve weeks. Hanbang formulas work gradually, and the change shows up as skin that looks plumper and more even rather than dramatically different overnight.
Is Sooryehan a luxury brand?
It’s positioned as premium rather than ultra-luxury. Within LG H&H’s portfolio it sits in the mid-to-high tier alongside ISA KNOX and BEYOND, below The History of Whoo. You get the hanbang formulations and the packaging feel at a noticeably lower price point.
Who owns Sooryehan?
LG Household & Health Care (LG H&H), one of South Korea’s two largest beauty companies. Products are made in Korea.
What does “hanbang” mean?
Hanbang refers to traditional Korean herbal medicine. In skincare, it describes formulas built on medicinal botanicals — ginseng, licorice root, peony, and fermented herbal blends — used to support the skin’s overall balance rather than target one isolated concern.
Is Sooryehan good for anti-aging?
That’s its main focus. The Hyobidam and The Black lines are formulated for wrinkle care and firmness, and the ginseng ranges target elasticity. Independent published clinical trials on specific Sooryehan products are limited, so treat manufacturer efficacy claims as claims — the brand’s credibility rests largely on LG’s research infrastructure and formulation depth.
Which Sooryehan line should I start with?
For dryness and barrier repair, Bon. For overall anti-aging and the signature fermented experience, Hyobidam. For brightening and uneven tone, Bichaek Jadan. For the most advanced formulas, The Black.
Is it suitable for sensitive skin?
Many products are formulated to be gentle, and hanbang botanicals are generally well tolerated. That said, the lines are fragranced and some include colorants, so a patch test behind the ear for two to three days is sensible if you react easily.