Sulwhasoo In Bukchon: Timeless Beauty and Tradition with a Ginseng Twist
The Bukchon Hanok Village is becoming home to more than just tea houses and traditional Korean restaurants. These days, you’ll find more and more Korean beauty flagship stores and shops catering to the foreign tourists visiting the area. Take the beautiful House of Sulwhasoo Bukchon (북촌 설화수의 집), opened in 2021 for an example. Sulwhasoo really kicked off the Korean beauty focus to the area and as far as Korean beauty brands go, this is the best of the best.
Not only is their flagship store gorgeous, but it’s an experience and for any Korean beauty enthusiast or skincare obsessed visitor, it’s a must see. I’ve been using Sulwhasoo for a number of years now and if you’re going to come and purchase from just one brand, I’ll tell you this is the one, the premium one, the worth-all-of-your money one, to find.
The Sulwhasoo Flagship Store in Bukchon is not only a beautiful homage to the past, but the brand sells some of the best Korean beauty products in the country. Don’t miss this stop:
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Basic Info
Address: 47 Bukchon-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울 종로구 북촌로 47)
Directions: Take exit no. 2 at Anguk station and walk towards the Gahoedong Catherdral. You’ll find the flagship store on the left. You’ll enjoy the scent of ginseng a block before you get there.
Hours: Tuesday – Sunday: 10:00am ~ 7:00pm
Homage To History Through Structure
The House of Sulwhasoo Bukchon, opened at the end of 2021, fittingly for the area sits is in a Korean Hanok from the 1930s. However, as you continue through, you’ll end up in a Yangok, or a more western styled residence from the 1960s. Visiting this flagship store is as much about enjoying the beauty brand as it is about taking in the local architecture.
When you first enter the complex, you’ll find yourself in Gallery Chang. You might be a bit confused about where to go and how to move around. The Hanok house has been opened up so that you can enter the separate rooms which have various installations which evolve with the seasons. The main corridor is now an outside path which leads to each room.
The rooms house artistic representations of their products, herbal guides, as well as vintage vanities and beauty products, combs, and brushes from the past. Walk down the corridor to find each room and open the doors to step inside to take a closer look.
Experience Sulwhasoo
From the historical Hanok showcase, you’ll follow the path to the Yangok building which houses Boutique Yun and Boutique One, the main shop area where you can test products and talk with staff about what you’re looking to buy.
What To Know: Sulwhasoo ginseng products contain Ginsenomics, an anti-aging technology that uses a rare type of ginseng saponin called Ginsenoside. Ginsenomics is said to help with skin regeneration, firmness, resilience, wrinkles, collagen, and skin aging.
The staff will help you if you have any questions, and do ask them a lot of questions. For your first product, I highly recommend the best selling Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum VI, a post-cleanse first step to your skincare routine. It’s a game changer to the routine. That said, I haven’t tried anything from Sulwhasoo I didn’t like.
What To Know: Sulwhasoo enriches the rarest type of Ginseng Saponin more than 6,000 times to produce Ginsenomics.
In my experience, Sulwhasoo offers a lot of test products which is why I recommend talking with the staff and asking plenty of questions as well. The more questions you ask, the more likely they are to give you testers for the products they recommend so you can try and then purchase later.
Case in point, the left image above is what I purchased, while the image on the right is what I ended up leaving with, which included testers and a Sulwhasoo limited edition bag. They almost always give the activating serum tester (which are a great size to use for travel), but I’ve gotten multiple cleansers, their sun cream, and all of it is divine.
Upon purchasing, you’ll go back forward to complete purchase at the Jihambo area and have your items wrapped in beautiful bojagi wrapping, Korean traditional style of wrapping with cloth. It’s free and a unique opportunity offered at this flagship store so don’t skip this step or decline when prompted.
After purchasing, don’t just depart. Head back through Boutique One and find the Salon on the upper floor. Most likely the staff will invite you to walk that way if you forget.
This floor is actually connected to the first floor of the beautiful OSULLOC cafe above. In the Salon, you can sit, listen to music, drink tea, or if you visit in the summer, enjoy some delicate ice cream with citrus.
We just visited this winter and they had a beautiful Christmas tree display there and if you posted a photo of the tree, you could get a free sample product as well. Always explore and see what you can find.
This space also opens up into a private garden area that has a 60 year old juniper tree and tall grasses. Take a seat, there’s also a very nice bathroom here if you need a stop before you continue you exploration into the Hanok village nearby.
The Sulwhasoo Flagship Store in Bukchon is a must-visit. It’s beautiful and of course all of their products are a must try if you’re interested in Korean beauty and skincare.
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