su:m37° (also stylized as 숨37°) is a South Korean premium and luxury skincare brand owned by LG Household & Health Care (LG H&H). The brand’s identity is built around the concept of natural fermentation, utilizing botanical ingredients that undergo long-term maturation processes. Launched in 2007, su:m37° was positioned as Korea’s first cosmetics brand centered on naturally fermented ingredients, distinguishing itself from products using artificially induced fermentation.

The name combines the Korean word “숨” (sum), meaning breath, with 37°, referring to the temperature associated with its core fermentation concept. The brand operates under the philosophy of “Breathe with Nature,” emphasizing harmony between skincare routines and natural rhythms.

Launch and Early Positioning

su:m37° was developed by LG H&H during a period when the Korean cosmetics industry was shifting toward premium skincare and differentiated ingredient technologies. The brand officially launched in 2007. At its inception, LG H&H described it as Korea’s first naturally fermented cosmetics brand.

The original concept involved approximately 50 plant species being naturally fermented at around 37°C for 1,102 days, a duration described as “3 years + 7 days.” This extended fermentation period became central to the brand’s storytelling, establishing su:m37° as a label associated with patience, natural processes, and fermentation.

Initially, the brand targeted the high-end department-store cosmetics market in Korea. Its early distribution included locations such as Lotte Department Store, reflecting LG H&H’s intention to establish su:m37° as a premium department-store brand.

Brand Evolution

The evolution of su:m37° can be categorized into four general stages:

• 2007 — Birth of the fermentation brand: LG H&H launches su:m37°, emphasizing long fermentation and botanical ingredients.
• Late 2000s–2010s — Premium skincare expansion: Development of major skincare lines, including the establishment of key products like Secret Essence.
• 2010s–2020s — International premiumization: Integration into LG H&H’s overseas beauty strategy, particularly in China and other Asian markets.
• 2020s — Fermentation + biotechnology + sustainability: Expansion of the brand identity to include proprietary technologies such as TRU-ACTIVE™ and Biopeptide 190™, alongside clean-formula and sustainability initiatives.

The name su:m37° is integral to the brand’s identity:

• “su:m” (숨): The Korean word for breath or respiration. Originally, this referred to the concept of the skin’s “respiration.” Contemporary brand narratives describe it as the time and breathing involved in fermentation.
• “37°”: Refers to the temperature associated with the brand’s fermentation philosophy. In launch materials, 37°C was described as the optimal temperature for fermentation and maturation.

Conceptually, the name expresses the idea of nature “breathing” and transforming over time: su:m = breath / life / respiration and 37° = fermentation / maturation / warmth.

The current brand slogan is “Breathe with Nature.” This philosophy posits that nature contains its own vitality, which skincare should preserve and deliver rather than aggressively alter. su:m37° describes its approach as selecting numerous plants and allowing them to undergo a long period of fermentation, during which their components are transformed. The metaphor of “breathing with nature” connects fermentation, time, and skin health.

Key philosophical themes include:

• Nature: Botanical ingredients and natural processes.
• Time: Long fermentation and maturation periods.
• Breathing: A metaphor for life, balance, and comfortable skin.

This positioning gives the brand a quiet, organic, and sophisticated image compared to more technology-forward Korean skincare brands.

Fermentation Technology

Fermentation is the defining technological concept behind su:m37°. The brand positions fermentation not merely as a marketing ingredient but as a core manufacturing philosophy. According to LG H&H, microorganisms transform ingredients during fermentation, potentially changing molecular characteristics and producing active materials. The resulting ingredients are intended to provide nourishment and care for the skin.

TRU-ACTIVE™

A newer proprietary concept associated with the brand is TRU-ACTIVE™. Based on current brand materials, this technology involves 55 plants exposed to a 10-year fermentation process. The brand states this produces a concentrated complex containing 40 nutritional components, including vitamins, AHA, amino acids, and minerals. Certain compounds reportedly increased substantially compared with one-year-fermented reference materials, though these figures represent the brand’s own stated ingredient-development data.

Biopeptide 190™

Another highlighted technology is Biopeptide 190™. su:m37° states it studied more than 190 microorganisms to develop an ingredient intended for sensitive or stressed skin. This proprietary patented ingredient is listed with Korean patent No. 10-2532713. This illustrates the brand’s shift from purely “natural fermentation” differentiation to a combination of natural fermentation, proprietary biotechnology, sensitive-skin care, and sustainability.

su:m37° is primarily a skincare brand, though its historical portfolio has included broader beauty products. Current categories include cleansers, toners/skin softeners, emulsions, essences, serums, ampoules, eye care, creams, masks, sun care, body care, and makeup.

Key Products

• Secret Essence: Arguably the product most strongly associated with su:m37°, representing the brand’s fermentation philosophy in a lightweight essence format designed for use early in a skincare routine. In 2019, LG H&H described Secret Essence as the product best showcasing the brand’s naturally fermented skincare concept. The Secret Essence Advanced Treatment remains a prominent item in official stores.
• SUMMA Line: Represents a more concentrated, luxury-oriented interpretation of the brand’s fermentation technology. Corporate materials have identified Losec Summa as a major premium line in overseas markets such as China.
• Other Notable Items: Water-full Rebalancing Emulsion, Micro-Active Repair Serum, and Micro-Active Tone-Up Sun.

su:m37° belongs to LG Household & Health Care, one of South Korea’s major consumer-goods companies. Within LG H&H’s beauty portfolio, su:m37° sits alongside brands such as The History of Whoo, O HUI, VDL, The Face Shop, belif, CNP, and Yehwadam.

su:m37° occupies a distinctive niche within the group: luxury skincare built around fermentation and nature.

Although fundamentally a Korean brand, su:m37° has been developed as an international premium beauty brand. LG H&H corporate reports identify su:m37° as a major cosmetics brand in overseas business, particularly in China, where its premium fermentation line is specifically noted. The brand is also marketed through LG H&H’s overseas operations, including LG Vina in Vietnam, where it is described as a luxury naturally fermented skincare brand 2.

The visual identity of su:m37° traditionally emphasizes soft neutral colors, gold and champagne tones, glass packaging, organic curves, botanical imagery, and minimalist luxury. Original 2007 launch materials described luxurious golden colors and glass packaging, drawing on Oriental simplicity and flowing natural curves. The visual language reinforces the narrative of nature → time → fermentation → refined luxury, aiming to make fermentation feel beautiful, calm, and luxurious rather than overtly clinical.

Sustainability has become an explicit part of the contemporary brand identity. Current materials describe initiatives including:

• Excluding certain ingredients such as animal-derived ingredients, synthetic fragrance, and mineral oil from specified products.
• Using formulas with an ISO 16128 natural-origin index of 90% or higher for some products.
• FSC-certified packaging.
• Soy ink usage.
• Recycled glass and plastic.
• Skin irritation testing across the product range.

The brand specifies that some of these measures apply only to certain products, and claims do not imply identical characteristics across the entire lineup.

In the context of K-beauty, su:m37° differentiates itself from:

• Traditional herbal/Korean luxury skincare: Which often emphasizes hanbang and traditional medicinal herbs.
• Clinical/dermatological skincare: Which emphasizes specific actives and laboratory research.
• General natural skincare: Which typically focuses on botanical ingredients without the heavy emphasis on long-term fermentation.

su:m37° combines elements of these categories but makes fermentation and time its central differentiator. Its basic brand story summarizes as: Plants + microorganisms + time + fermentation → transformed ingredients → sophisticated skincare.

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1. 숨37° 공식몰
2. Su:m 37° – CÔNG TY TNHH MỸ PHẨM LG VINA
3. LG H&H — su:m37° brand profile
4. LG H&H — original 2007 su:m37° launch announcement