Legume · 한국 전통 뷰티 성분 백과사전
콩kong
Soybean
The legume at the centre of Korean food culture, and the source of soy-derived cosmetic ingredients.
Scientific identification
Glycine max
INCI name: Glycine Max (Soybean) Seed Extract
Korean heritage ingredient
This classification records the context the ingredient is documented in, not where it comes from: a Korean heritage ingredient is one with documented use in Korean practice, while a modern cosmetic ingredient carries no heritage claim. Neither label states that the ingredient originated in Korea.
Skin concerns this profile is offered for
A browsing aid and a statement of cosmetic intent only: it diagnoses nothing and promises no result.
Korean Heritage
Soybeans are deeply connected to Korean food and agricultural traditions. They are made into tofu, soy sauce, doenjang and kongnamul, and the bean has been part of Korean household life for centuries.
Traditional uses
- Soybeans made into tofu, soy sauce and fermented pastes
- Soybean water and ground soybean used in household beauty practice
References
- Glycine Max (Soybean) Seed Extract — labelling name and declared cosmetic function · European Commission CosIng cosmetic ingredient database · https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/
- The cosmetic safety and claims framework this profile is written under · Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products, consolidated text · https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2009/1223/oj
- Soybean as a documented Korean staple and fermented-food material · Korean Culture and Information Service (Korea.net) — Korean food and daily-life culture · https://www.korea.net/
- Identified soybean isoflavones genistein and daidzein and their chemical records · PubChem compound database, US National Library of Medicine · https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/#query=genistein
- Indexed literature on Glycine max extract and skin appearance — the basis for the ratings shown here, not proof of a measured change · PubMed, US National Library of Medicine · https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=soybean%20Glycine%20max%20extract%20skin
Modern Cosmetic Science
Modern cosmetic applications
- Soy-derived oils, proteins and extracts are used in cosmetic formulations
- Soybean extract appears in skin-conditioning and moisturizing products
Soy-derived ingredients have been studied for skin conditioning and for effects on skin appearance, in laboratory work and in a limited number of human studies. Results vary with the form used — oil, protein or isoflavone extract — so they do not carry across to a homemade soybean preparation.
Benefits & Limitations
Evidence by claim
Every rating applies to ONE claimed benefit. An ingredient is never given a single overall effectiveness score.
Skin-conditioning support in a cosmetic formulation
TraditionalRating approved by an authorized reviewerRating reviewed: the traditional use is documented while direct clinical evidence for this claim is limited, which is what this rating records.
Moisturizing support in a formulated product
TraditionalRating approved by an authorized reviewerRating reviewed: the traditional use is documented while direct clinical evidence for this claim is limited, which is what this rating records.
Investigated for effects on skin appearance
ExperimentalRating approved by an authorized reviewerRating reviewed: evidence is insufficient for this claim, so it is recorded as experimental and no benefit is asserted.
What is not claimed
A studied soy extract is not evidence for a homemade soybean mask, and no measured change in the skin is claimed here.
Safety & Allergies
- Soybean is a major food allergen. A soybean allergy must be taken seriously, and a product that provokes a reaction must be stopped
- Soy-derived cosmetic ingredients are generally well tolerated; a new product should still be patch-tested
Allergens this recipe can carrySoy
Related Beauty Rituals
Related beauty rituals are being reviewed.
Professionally formulated products
No professionally formulated product is listed for this ingredient yet.
Soybean has a documented place in Korean food culture and household practice. That association is not evidence that a soy preparation produces a measured change in the skin.
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