Do you need a First Care Serum, something between a toner and the rest of your skincare? Is the $18 Missha Misa Geum Sul First Essence Booster the dupe for $84 Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum?

For the longest time, I was skeptical of Sulwhasoo’s First Care Serum. I bought it on a whim at a Duty-Free special offer sale. A friend said I should get it, and she would love to share the cost. (It was a two for one offer). That was 1.5 years ago, and I am still using the product every day. 

Now, why am I looking for dupes? Basically comes down to two things: product availability, and yeah you’ve guessed it: price.

The internet search touted Missha Misa Geum Sul First Essence Booster as a dupe with a price less than a quarter of Sulwhasoo. Plus, it’s not difficult to get in Germany. Easy enough decision, so I tried it out.

Price & Availability

Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum

The price varies around $84 per bottle (90 ml). It is a luxury product, and everything about it also says that. My biggest issue is that Sulwhasoo is not officially available in Germany, which means it isn’t easy to replace.

Missha Misa Geum Sul First Essence Booster

Again the price varies around $18-$25. The brand is officially available in Germany, although the exact product sometimes not. Nevertheless, with this price point, buying online is more palatable.

The Promise & How To Use

Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum Ex

Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum Ex

Formulated with JAUM Balancing Complex™, a potent cocktail of five Korean herbs, this unique prepping serum designed to be the first step post-cleanse that hydrates, nourishes and visibly firms, while boosting absorption of subsequent products that are applied on top.

https://us.sulwhasoo.com/products/first-care-activating-serum

It’s something to use after your toner, before other skincare products. Yes, I wonder too if this does anything, and whether you need such a product. (Dorit wrote about essences in general here.) I am still unsure about that, except that I like how my skin looks after using it. So at least in my experience, it works.

Missha Misa Geum Seul First Essence Booster

This powerful herbal essence booster is infused with fermented ginseng water to penetrate deep into the skin and promote a youthful glow as well as “Cheonjijeongwoldan,” an ancient herbal medicine with cherry blossom and primrose seed to strengthen the skin from within. Use this as the first step of your skincare routine to awaken the skin’s inner strength and enhance the power of the following products you use. 

https://www.misshaus.com/default/misa-geum-sul-first-essence-booster.html

So, it looks like both should be used after cleansing and before other skincare, and both will enhance other products applied on top. Promising enough for a possible dupe.

Usage

Both products are used as the first step in skincare (after toner, if you’re using one and after cleansing). Take 2-3 pumps, warm it in your hands and pat it lightly on the face. 

With Sulwhasoo, it’s also recommended to take in the scent as a last step of relaxation. Nothing stops you from doing the same with Missha, although I have to admit that Sulwhasoo does have that nice spa-herbal-relaxing feel to it.

Missha Misa Geum Seul First Essence Booster.

Ingredients

From the ingredients, it looks like that Missha Geum Seul First Essence Booster is not a Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum dupe.

Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum Ex

Key Ingredients

JAUM Balancing Complex™: Replenishes essential moisture and nutrients for smooth, hydrated and well-balanced skin.

Full Ingredients

Water/Aqua/Eau, Butylene Glycol, Alcohol, Glycerin, Betaine, PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Glycyrrhiza Uralensis (Licorice) Root Extract, Fragrance/Parfum, Honey / Mel / Miel, Juglans Regia (Walnut) Seed Extract, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Extract, Dextrin, Lilium Candidum Bulb Extract, Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract, Rehmannia Glutinosa Root Extract, Polygonatum Officinale Rhizome/Root Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Limonene, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Disodium EDTA, Phenyl Trimethicone, Chondrus Crispus (Carrageenan), Linalool, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Zizyphus Jujuba Fruit Extract, Natto Gum, Citronellol, Citral, Propylene Glycol, Geraniol, Chlorphenesin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, BHT, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Sorbic Acid, Tocopherol
Hover the mouse / tap over an ingredient for short explanation. Read more on INCIDecoder.

Missha Misa Geum Sul First Essence Booster

Key Ingredients:

Fermented Ginseng Water: Strengthens skin’s barrier, “Chenjijeongwoldan” Extract: Vitalizes, “Cheonjong” Wild Ginseng Extract: Firms, Reishi Mushroom fermented with Gold Extract: Nourishes, Pure Gold 5,000ug: Purifies, “Yuyak Boham” Liquid: Smooths, “Cheongemcho” Extract: Vitalizes, Spiceberry Extract: Protects.

Full Ingredients:

Saccharomyces/Panax Ginseng Root Ferment Filtrate, Butylene Glycol, Water, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Propanediol, Niacinamide, Betaine, Panax Ginseng Root Water, Arginine, Peg/Ppg-17/6 Copolymer, Peg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Carbomer, Glycereth-26, Phenoxyethanol, Dimethicone, Chlorphenesin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Bis-Peg-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Peg-2M, Caprylyl Glycol, Alcohol, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Bacillus/Apricot Seed/Artemisia Annua Extract/Phaseolus Angularis Seed/Soybean Seed/Wheat Bran/Xanthium Strumarium Fruit Extract Ferment Extract, Sucrose Distearate, Benzophenone-5, Cellulose Gum, Adenosine, Disodium Edta, Fragrance, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Extract, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Polyglutamic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Foeniculum Vulgare (Fennel) Fruit Extract, Zizyphus Jujuba Fruit Extract, Eugenia Caryophyllus (Clove) Flower Extract, Gold, Ganoderma Lucidum (Mushroom) Extract, Velvet Extract, Poria Cocos Extract, Mineral Salts, Cnidium Officinale Root Extract, Cinnamomum Camphora (Camphor) Leaf Extract, Atractylodes Lancea Root Extract, Saposhnikovia Divaricata Root Extract, Pueraria Thunbergiana Root Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Astragalus Membranaceus Root Extract, Angelica Dahurica Root Extract, Prunus Mume Fruit Extract, Actaea Heracleifolia Root Extract, Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Flour Extract, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Honey Extract, Acanthopanax Sessiliflorus Bark Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Extract, Ardisia Crispa Extract, Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Panax Ginseng Callus Culture Extract, Rehmannia Glutinosa Root Extract, Cinnamomum Cassia Bark Extract, Prunus Mume Flower Extract, Angelica Gigas Root Extract, Atractylodes Japonica Rhizome Extract, Paeonia Lactiflora Root Extract, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Seed Extract, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Cyclopentasiloxane, C30-45 Alkyldimethylsilyl Polypropylsilsesquioxane
Hover the mouse / tap over an ingredient for short explanation. Read more on INCIDecoder.

Consistency & Product Feel

Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum Ex

  • Texture is light and easy to absorb. It gives the feeling that your skin is ready to absorb more products.
  • Smells nice. I know that this is a double-edged sword. But I find the scent soothing and relaxing, yet it’s a personal preference and perfumes increased the risk of irritation.
  • Skin feels soft and supple, no sticky feeling, you can put other products on top of this in 10 seconds (perfect for mornings).
Texture of Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum vs Missha Geum Seul Essence Booster

Missha Misa Geum Seul Essence Booster

  • Missha’s texture is stickier than Sulwhasoo’s. It leaves a rather tacky feeling on the skin, although it will go away after a while.  
  • It also feels more moisturizing than prepping the skin for products afterward.
  • The gold flecks look pretty and supposedly also have useful properties for the skin? (Lacks evidence but looks great on pictures.)

What I Like

I switched products to test, and both products seemed to make my skin looks better. If you’re worried about price points, Missha’s is great for that. If money is not an issue for you, Sulwhasoo’s wins hands down. It is worthy of the price points because of its texture, easy absorption, and above all, the overall feel of the product.

What I Don’t Like

Nothing really. I’m unsure what these product do beyond some antioxidants, yet it really works for my skin.  

Is Missha Misa Geum Seul Essence Booster a Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum Ex Dupe?

It’s not a dupe, because the ingredients are very different. It’s just a product with the same purpose: That is to say, somewhat skin prep between cleanser/toner and the rest of your skincare). I know that my skin feels great after using these products, so I’ve decided to keep both in my routine. They are on my Vichy Liftactive Vitamin C post here.

I use Sulwhasoo’s for morning routine, because it’s easy to absorb and I find the scent refreshing. Missha’s I use for a night routine, because it’s more moisturizing. Will I keep using them and repurchase? Yes. With a preference to Sulwhasoo.

Please note that this post is not sponsored in any way. We buy products ourselves, with our own money, and don’t accept exchanging goods or money for reviews. We are completely independent, and our reviews reflect that.