Abstract
Ginseng is a traditional herbal medicine with a long history of use for the prevention and/or treatment of various diseases. Ginseng is used worldwide as a functional food to maintain human health. In addition, ginseng has been used as a raw ingredient in cosmetics with various applications, ranging from skin toning to anti-aging. Some cosmetic products contain ginseng extracts from Korea and other countries, as it is thought that ginseng can also exert beneficial effects on human skin. However, it remains unclear which ginseng component(s) could be the main active compound that directly contributes to skin health and/or prevents skin aging. It is also important to understand the mechanisms by which the ginseng component(s) exert their effects on the skin and skin health. This review describes recent in vitro and in vivo studies involving ginseng extracts, ginseng ingredients, and ginseng byproducts for skincare and skin health and discusses emerging evidence that ginsenosides, gintonin, and ginseng byproducts could be novel candidates for skincare and skin health applications ranging from anti-aging to the treatment of skin diseases such as atopic dermatitis and hypertrophic scars and keloids. The mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of ginseng components and byproducts on skin health are discussed. In addition, this review shows how ginseng components, such as gintonin, a newly identified ginseng component, might contribute to skin health and skin disease when used as a supplementary ingredient in cosmetics and further proposes a novel combination in cosmetic products containing both ginsenosides and gintonin.