The first line of an ampoule or serum ingredient list usually begins with "purified water." Purified water serves as a base, holding the contents and adjusting the viscosity. However, LG Household & Health Care's brand ISA KNOX garnered attention by launching a vitamin ampoule that completely excludes purified water. This product is the "Age Focus Vitamin Ampoule," unveiled on October 6, 2020. If water is removed, what replaces it, and why was it necessary to exclude purified water?
※ This article is based on verified sources. Promotion information for Shilla Hotel and other distributors as of November 6, 2026, is not addressed in the main text as no relevant data was included; instead, the focus remains on ISA KNOX’s 2020 product case.
Excluding Water to Preserve Vitamins
Vitamin C oxidizes when exposed to light, heat, and oxygen in the air. As oxidation progresses, the activity of the active ingredients intended for the skin decreases, and the color or state of the contents may change. In ampoule formulations, purified water can often create conditions that promote oxidation.
According to reports by Entropy Times, LG Household & Health Care explained that they excluded purified water to stably deliver naturally oxidizing vitamins1. In other words, the reason for removing water is not merely a rhetorical attempt to increase concentration, but rather a manufacturing choice aimed at keeping high-concentration vitamins as stable as possible throughout the product’s shelf life. However, this is the design logic stated by the manufacturer, and independent test results comparing usage periods across various product lines have not been provided.
Actual Figures in an Ingredient List with 0% Purified Water
Assuming 0% purified water, the ampoule’s composition contains a total of 30% vitamin ingredients, combining 25% real vitamin C from the UK and 5% vitamin derivatives1. Unlike typical ampoules that use purified water as a base with small amounts of dissolved vitamins, this product adopted a structure that fills the product with high concentrations of vitamins themselves.
Here, "vitamin derivatives" refer to ingredients modified from vitamin C to allow for use in a more stable form. The brand stated that excluding purified water enables the stable delivery of naturally oxidizing vitamins, and that containing 25% real vitamin C from the UK and 5% derivatives provides antioxidant effects1. However, since these figures and stability explanations are formulation information disclosed by the brand, storage conditions after opening or actual skin absorption effects cannot be concluded from this data alone.
A Formulation Introduced for the Seasonal Transition
October 6, 2020, was a period when LG Household & Health Care introduced multiple new beauty products simultaneously to coincide with the seasonal transition, characterized by dry weather and large temperature differences1. One of these was ISA KNOX’s vitamin ampoule. At the time, the brand emphasized that the real vitamin ampoule, with not a single drop of water added, helps achieve radiant skin during a season when the skin’s oil-moisture balance is easily disrupted by cold, dry weather1.
From a consumer’s perspective, the figures "0% purified water, 30% vitamins" are likely to stand out. However, understanding why water was removed clarifies why the product adopted a different composition. Filling the product with high concentrations of vitamins themselves instead of water is ultimately a manufacturing choice intended to reduce the oxidation of vitamin C caused by contact with air or moisture, thereby maintaining the product’s inherent efficacy. It is important to note, however, that this judgment is limited to the case of this single ISA KNOX product disclosed in October 2020.
