ETUDE SoonJung Panthensoside Cica Balm
The comfort layer of the SoonJung line, combining the panthenol the range is built on with centella derivatives. ETUDE calls the blend Panthensoside, which is a brand name rather than an ingredient category. Despite "balm" in the title it is closer to a rich cream than an ointment — it presses in and disappears rather than sitting on the surface like a salve, and it is fragrance-free like the rest of the line.
What it is built around
Who it suits
Skin having a bad week: post-exfoliation tightness, wind-burnt cheeks, the flat patches left after a spot has gone. It suits sensitive and dry skin, and combination skin can use it in targeted patches rather than all over. Oily skin will find full-face use heavy. It is a soothing cosmetic, so anything genuinely inflamed or persistent goes to a clinician, not to a balm.
How to use it
As the last step at night on the areas that need it, over serum, or all over the face if your skin is dry. It also works as a targeted patch treatment on rough spots during the day. Use less than you think — it looks thick in the tub and spreads a long way once warmed between the fingers.
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🙋 People also ask
What is cica or centella in skincare?
Cica is short for Centella asiatica, a plant also called tiger grass and widely used in Korean skincare to soothe the look of redness and support a comfortable, resilient barrier. It's a go-to for sensitive, stressed or breakout-prone skin in calming creams and serums.
What does cica mean in Korean skincare?
Cica is shorthand for Centella asiatica, a botanical used across Korean soothing products. Cica formulas are aimed at the look of redness, irritation and a stressed barrier.
✍️ 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.