Ingredient overview
| Ingredient | INCI name | Role | GDK formula |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rice bran | Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Extract | Moisture for dry skin | Rice Milky Toner |
| Rice lees (makgeolli) | Oryza Sativa (Rice) Lees Extract | Elasticity and tone care; antioxidant components | Rice Sediment Mask |
| Mugwort leaf | Artemisia Princeps Leaf Extract | Soothing for sensitive skin | Ssukddeum (Mugwort) Cream |
| Black soybean | Glycine Soja (Soybean) Seed Extract | Firm, resilient-looking skin | Firming Bean Serum |
| Ginseng root | Panax Ginseng Root Extract | Antioxidant; firmness | Age Signal Exosome Ampoule |
| Cheongjindan | Fermented complex of 12 herbal ingredients | Antioxidant; nourishment | Fermented Herbal Nourishing Cream |
Rice: from the rice-water face wash tradition
Koreans traditionally washed their faces with rice water. GDK draws two ingredients from rice:
- Rice bran extract – rice bran holds about 95% of the grain's nutrients. The extract helps moisturise dry skin and is the base of the Rice Milky Toner.
- Rice lees extract – from the sediment left after brewing makgeolli. It contains antioxidant components and is used for skin elasticity and tone care, as in the Rice Sediment Mask.
Mugwort skincare ingredient: Korea's warming herb
Mugwort (ssuk) has long been used in Korea as a traditional herb with a warm nature. Mugwort leaf extract gently soothes sensitive, reactive skin, making it a natural fit for seasonal-change soothing products. GDK's Ssukddeum Cream turns from green gel to white cream on the skin.
Black soybean skincare: four times the anti-ageing components
Heuktae, seoritae and seomoktae are Korean black soybeans eaten for generations. They contain about four times more anti-ageing-related components than ordinary soybeans. GDK proposes soybean seed extract from black soybeans in the Firming Bean Serum.
Ginseng: Korea's signature herb
Rich in ginsenosides and saponins.
Ginseng root is rich in ginsenosides and saponins, antioxidant components that help protect the skin from free radicals and maintain firmness. GDK proposes it in the Age Signal Exosome Ampoule.
Cheongjindan: 12 fermented herbal ingredients
Cheongjindan is a complex ingredient made by fermenting 12 traditional herbal ingredients, including soybean, plum and omija (schisandra), with lactic acid bacteria or yeast. Fermentation enhances the antioxidant effect of the herbs and helps active components absorb into the skin quickly. It is the heart of the Fermented Herbal Nourishing Cream.
Patented plant-extract research
GDK's ingredient work goes beyond trend proposals. Research on plant extracts as cosmetic ingredients has produced two Korean patents:
- Caryopteris incana extract – composition for antioxidant, whitening and anti-wrinkle use, Patent No. 10-1695781.
- Indigofera pseudotinctoria extract – composition for antioxidant, whitening and anti-wrinkle use, Patent No. 10-1700105 (registered January 2017).