The study found that black ginseng water extract makes skin cells that are already inflamed produce even more inflammation signals, activates certain immune pathways, and boosts the skin peptide LL‑37 and oil (sebum) production, which could worsen acne.

Ginseng has been used in Korea for a long time as a restorative herbal medicine. Black ginseng (BG) is made from red or white ginseng by multiple steamy and dry processes. Although BG has been reported to have anti-inflammatory potential, studies on its influence on inflammatory skin disorders are lacking. To investigate the effects of BG under the inflammatory conditions of cultured sebocytes and outer root sheath (ORS) cells. The cultured cells were treated with 0.1% dimethyl sulfoxide, 5 µg/ml lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or 5 µg/ml LPS+50 µg/ml BG for 6 hours and 24 hours. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), real-time PCR, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, western blotting, immunofluorescence staining and Nile red staining were performed for analysis of inflammatory biomarkers and sebum-related biomarkers. BG brought out the increased gene and protein expression of inflammatory biomarkers such as interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor-α, in the LPS-treated sebocytes and ORS cells. In addition, BG induced increased expression of TLR4, p-c-jun, p-JNK and p-iκB in LPS-treated sebocytes and ORS cells. Furthermore, it significantly increased the expression of LL-37 and the production of sebum in LPS-treated sebocytes. It may be possible for BG to increase the expression of inflammatory biomarkers in inflammatory skin disorders, such as acne.