ACANTHOPANAX KOREANUM EXTRACT

📋 Quick facts

Description: ACANTHOPANAX KOREANUM EXTRACT — SKIN CONDITIONING.

All Functions: SKIN CONDITIONING

Quick Facts:

• Category: emollient

Proven Benefits At A Glance:

• Extract from Acanthopanax koreanum, a plant native to Jeju Island, South Korea, has been traditionally used as a tonic and sedative
• Main active components identified are eleutheroside B and chlorogenic acid
• Research in mice suggests potential effects related to stress response and nicotine dependence
• Limited human studies available — current evidence comes from animal research only

📊 Comedogenicity

🛡️ Safety rating

Safety tier is a starting heuristic from regulatory status and comedogenic rating, not a dermatological verdict — see our Terms for the full disclaimer. Research confidence reflects how many real cited studies back this ingredient, not the strength of their findings.

🌍 Regulatory Status

💧 Skin Type Compatibility

⚠️ Don’t Combine With

📚 Research & Evidence

🔬 The Science

Acanthopanax koreanum (AK) is a plant with a long history in Korean traditional medicine, particularly as a tonic for general wellness and stress-related conditions. The scientific investigation of this ingredient is still relatively early, with research focused on understanding how it works at a biochemical level rather than direct consumer benefits. #1: Stress-related effects — In animal studies, a 70% ethanol extract of Acanthopanax koreanum showed effects on anxiety- and depression-like behaviors in mice exposed to acute or chronic stress (J Ethnopharmacol, 2013). The extract appeared to prevent behavioral changes associated with stress and also influenced measurable stress markers like corticosterone levels and spleen weight.

Sub-chronic administration also increased the number of specific cells in the hippocampus (a brain region involved in mood and memory) in stressed mice. #2: Nicotine dependence pathway — A separate study in mice found that AK extract and its isolated components (eleutheroside B and chlorogenic acid) affected how the brain responds to nicotine by normalizing dopamine signaling and adjusting expression of specific receptors and proteins involved in reward and addiction pathways (Addict Biol, 2024). This suggests a mechanism for potential effects on nicotine withdrawal, though this has not been tested in humans. Importantly, both studies are conducted in mice, not humans.

While traditional use suggests this ingredient may have properties related to stress resilience and tone, claims about direct effects on human skin health, mood, or addiction are not supported by the available research abstracts. The ingredient remains primarily of interest to researchers studying its biochemical mechanisms.

📄 Related Research

Matched by search — not necessarily verified support for every statement above.

• Lee HJ et al. (2024). Ameliorating effects of Acanthopanax koreanum extract and components on nicotine dependence and withdrawal symptoms. Addict Biol.
• Jung JM et al. (2013). The effects of a standardized Acanthopanax koreanum extract on stress-induced behavioral alterations in mice. J Ethnopharmacol.

🧴 Products Containing ACANTHOPANAX KOREANUM EXTRACT