Sophora Root: Korea's hanbang heritage ingredient 고삼
⏱ 1 min read
⚡ Quick answer: Sophora Root (고삼, gosam) is a hanbang botanical Korea has used in traditional skincare for generations. Used in scalp and blemish-focused Korean formulas as a traditional botanical extract, generally in combination with other herbs.
Gosam, literally 'bitter ginseng', appears in Korean traditional medicine for external preparations. Its bitterness is proverbial, and it was used in washes rather than taken lightly.
🗣️ Sophora Root — Hangul 고삼, romanized gosam, say "GOH-sahm".
In modern K-beauty
Used in scalp and blemish-focused Korean formulas as a traditional botanical extract, generally in combination with other herbs.
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✍️ Written & reviewed by the KoreaPlus Editorial team — dermatologist-informed, cosmetic-science researched & source-cited. Last reviewed: 2026-08-23.
General educational information using cosmetic structure-function wording — not medical advice. Always patch-test new actives. © KoreaPlus.