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Skincare

SOQU

SOQU is a South Korean skincare brand launched in 2015 by the cosmetics manufacturer G1 BIO Co., Ltd..

Primary source verified6 sources
Glowpedia Editorial· Published 20 Jul 2026· Updated 28 Jul 2026· primary sources: 2
Editorially selected sources, summarised with the help of AI.

⚑ Omitted claims. Some claims had only weak support (T4) and were left out. The sourcing is thinner than usual.

SOQU
SOQU
SOQU
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Summary

Overview

SOQU is a South Korean skincare brand launched in 2015 by the cosmetics manufacturer G1 BIO Co., Ltd. [7]. Based in Chuncheon, in the Gangwon-do province, it makes natural-ingredient K-beauty products across toners, serums, moisturizers, masks and soothing gels. The name is an acronym for "Skin of Queen," and the company positions the line as effective Korean skincare offered at accessible prices [5]. The brand remains active: its online storefront was updated in mid-2026 and a new moisturizer was added to the catalogue at the end of 2025 [3].

SOQU is G1 BIO's main consumer-facing brand. The manufacturer describes itself as drawing on more than a decade of in-house cosmetics research, and frames SOQU as the outlet through which that work reaches shoppers.

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Origin and ownership

SOQU is owned and produced by G1 BIO Co., Ltd., a cosmetics manufacturer headquartered in Chuncheon, Gangwon-do [2]. The company's president is Woosik Kim, whose background includes food science and biotechnology studies and earlier research roles in Korean cosmetics and biotechnology institutions.

The brand and its parent carry two distinct founding dates, both accurate. G1 BIO Co., Ltd. was established in 2013, while the SOQU brand itself was launched in 2015 as the company's main consumer line [7].

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Philosophy and positioning

SOQU operates under the "Skin of Queen" philosophy and states an aim of offering "K-beauty for everyone" [5]. According to the K-beauty review platform Hwahae, the brand builds its formulas around Korean natural-origin ingredients, including wild-plant extracts, deep sea water and rice, and leans on G1 BIO's research in ginseng-based cosmetics technology [5]. Its stated mission, printed on the brand site, is to "create safe products that really work and are designed to make you feel good" [1].

The line is marketed toward a broad audience, with Hwahae noting particular relevance for dry, less elastic, dull or sensitive skin. In prose the company frames itself as a value-oriented natural-skincare label rather than a premium one.

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Products and ingredients

SOQU's catalogue spans toners, serums, moisturizers, masks and soothing gels. Recurring hero ingredients across the range include rice, aloe, snail, peach, honey, blueberry and various vitamins. A frequently featured product is the Moisturizing and Brightening Rice Cream, built on rice extract with hyaluronic acid and niacinamide. On Hwahae, the brand's most-viewed items include a vitamin mist and an aloe-based natural soothing gel [5].

The company reports holding several domestic patents, designs and trademarks, and describes proprietary methods for black-ginseng manufacturing and low-molecular ginseng saponin extraction [2].

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Distribution

SOQU sells directly through its own online store and is also carried by third-party retailers[6]. Beyond direct sales, G1 BIO reports exporting the brand internationally, though sources differ on its reach: the brand site states SOQU has been "exported to over 30 countries," while an older trade-database profile records exports to "over 10 countries," listing markets such as China, Hong Kong, Japan, Poland, Thailand, Turkey, Taiwan and the United States [2][7].

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Current status

SOQU is active. Its brand-operated online store was live and updated in mid-2026, and a new product, the Synergy Vitamin C+E Luminous Cream, was added to the catalogue in late December 2025 [3]. The brand continues to be listed on Hwahae, where it carries an average rating of 4.3 stars across a small number of reviews [5].

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From the fact base

Facts & evidence

Documented facts from Glowpedia's fact base — every row carries a source.

Timeline#

2013

G1 BIO Co., Ltd. founded in Chuncheon, Gangwon-do, South Korea (president Woosik Kim)↗ g1bio.tradekorea.com

2015

SOQU brand launched as G1 BIO's main consumer-facing skincare brand↗ g1bio.tradekorea.com

2025

Launch of SOQU Synergy Vitamin C+E Luminous Cream (catalogued Dec 31, 2025)↗ soqu.co.kr

Signature products#

Moisturizing & Brightening Rice Cream

Moisturizing & Brightening Rice Cream featuring Rice Extract + Hyaluronic Acid + Niacinamide↗ soqu.co.kr

SOQU Mist [Vitamin]

SOQU Mist [Vitamin] - Rating: 5.0 | $13.13/125ml↗ hwahae.com

SOQU Natural Soothing Gel [Aloe]

SOQU Natural Soothing Gel [Aloe] - $2.92/300ml↗ hwahae.com

SOQU Synergy Vitamin C+E Luminous Cream

SOQU SYNERGY VITAMIN C+E LUMINOUS CREAM ... Created: December 31, 2025↗ soqu.co.kr

Key ingredients#

RiceVitaminAloeSnailPeachHoneyBlueberryRose↗ soqu.co.kr

Proprietary technologies & patents#

Black ginseng manufacturing methodGinseng saponin extraction (low-molecular)↗ soqu.co.kr

“Patented technologies include black ginseng manufacturing and ginseng saponin extraction methods.”

4 Patents (domestic)4 Designs4 Trademarks↗ soqu.co.kr

“Domestic: 4 Patents, 4 Designs, 4 Trademarks; Venture company designation”

Mentioned in#

—

Hwahae — SOQU brand profile on Korea's largest cosmetics review platform: 33 products listed, average 4.3 stars across 10 reviews; positioned as 'effective K-beauty products based on natural ingredients at reasonable prices'.↗ hwahae.com

—

Lyko — Stocked at Nordic beauty retailer Lyko with 13 SKUs (eye creams, sheet masks, treatment masks); brand is described as Korean natural-skincare with paraben-, silicone-, sulfate-free and vegan formulations.↗ lyko.com

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Sourced

Certification pass

What each certification and self-stated claim rests on: the source, whose website it's on, and what needs review.

Self-stated claims
paraben_freeOther source (neither body nor brand)

“Key product attributes include paraben-free, silicone-free, sulfate-free, and vegan formulations.”↗ lyko.com

⚑ Needs reviewReservation in the source data

ethics_and_sustainability.value_claims

sulfate_freeOther source (neither body nor brand)

“Key product attributes include paraben-free, silicone-free, sulfate-free, and vegan formulations.”↗ lyko.com

⚑ Needs reviewReservation in the source data

ethics_and_sustainability.value_claims

veganOther source (neither body nor brand)

“Key product attributes include paraben-free, silicone-free, sulfate-free, and vegan formulations.”↗ lyko.com

⚑ Needs reviewReservation in the source data

ethics_and_sustainability.value_claims

None of these statements has been checked against the certifying bodies' registers. The statements were observed on 1 Jun 2026.

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Market data

Where to buy

Availability in the Nordics

Where the brand is sold according to Glowjakt's price data, per market.

Marketproductsin stockstoresPrice range
Sweden1818519 SEK – 149 SEK
Norway1818329 NOK – 245 NOK
Denmark1816219 DKK – 149 DKK
Finland181722.50 € – 20.50 €

Prices come from Glowjakt and are updated daily. Glowpedia receives no payment for clicks.

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Ingredient data

Ingredients across the range

Key ingredients across SOQU's range, from the ingredient lists of 18 of 18 products in Sweden.

Most common key ingredientsGlycerin17 prod.Niacinamide16 prod.Hyaluronic acid15 prod.Aloe vera10 prod.Calendula9 prod.Collagen8 prod.Panthenol7 prod.Peptides7 prod.
May affect sensitive skinFragrance18 prod.Propylene glycol11 prod.Phenoxyethanol7 prod.Alcohol denat3 prod.
Shares
0%
fragrance-free
56%
with no animal-derived ingredient identified
0%
with no hit in the “may affect sensitive skin” group

Share of products with a known ingredient list. “None identified” means nothing matched our ingredient groups, not that the product is free of them.

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References

Sources

T1 primary · T2 secondary · T3 note
  1. [1]T1soqu.co.krsoqu.co.kr (brand site)
  2. [2]T1soqu.co.kr/pages/brandsoqu.co.kr (brand site)
  3. [3]T2soqu.co.kr/products.jsonsoqu.co.kr (brand site)
  4. [5]T3hwahae.com/en/brand/soquhwahae.com
  5. [6]T3lyko.com/en/soqulyko.com
  6. [7]T3g1bio.tradekorea.com/company.dog1bio.tradekorea.com