K-Secret Seoul 1988 Serum Retinal Liposome 2% + Black Ginseng Versus K-Secret Calamine Secret Bar
Updated on May 18, 2025
Overview
What they are
These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe . They have a total of 2 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain niacinamide, Vitamin C and Vitamin E
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing, dark spots and better texture
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, parabens, silicones or sulfates
What's Inside
They both contain oils
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that needs an update? Let us know.
Ingredient Info
K-Secret Seoul 1988 Serum Retinal Liposome 2% + Black Ginseng 41 ingredients
K-Secret Calamine Secret Bar 16 ingredients
What's inside (and what isn't)
What's inside (and what isn't)
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
K-Secret Seoul 1988 Serum Retinal Liposome 2% + Black Ginseng 41 ingredients
K-Secret Calamine Secret Bar 16 ingredients
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Niacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.
And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.
You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.
In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.
If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.
When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.
In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).
Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.
Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.
The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.
Learn more about NiacinamideTocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
Learn more about TocopherolIngredient Ratings
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these products.
When to use
K-Secret Seoul 1988 Serum Retinal Liposome 2% + Black Ginseng 41 ingredients
K-Secret Calamine Secret Bar 16 ingredients

Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
K-Secret Seoul 1988 Serum Retinal Liposome 2% + Black Ginseng 41 ingredients
Worked almost right away, by smoothing my skin, giving me smaller pores and improved fine lines. Definitely a staple.
been struggling a lot with closed comedones and acne. this product has helped reduced that and improves texture pretty fast
EDIT: i used it for 4 months and while it did get rid of cc and hormonal acne, I noticed that any pimples that remained on my face was fungal acne (i used to struggle with fa in highschool but haven't in 5 yrs) i know the product is not fa safe but most otc retinoids Show more
K-Secret Calamine Secret Bar 16 ingredients
I don't like this, but i don't hate it. It helps with brightening, i noticed that my acne scars looks brighter than before while pairing with the calamine cream. It didn't irritate and dry my skin, I just need to wash my skin properly after using this soap.