Patented Ingredients Like BSASM: Does the Label Tell You How Much Is Inside?

Quick answer: A patented-ingredient label such as BSASM does not tell you how much of that ingredient is in the product. A patent number lets you confirm the title of the invention, the filing and registration dates, and the patent holder, and registration means the invention met the requirements for a patent, not that the cosmetic’s effects were reviewed. If redness or stinging continues after you try a product, stop using it and consider seeing a dermatologist.

Sometimes a single patented-ingredient mark on the back of a container or on a product page decides whether a product stays on your shortlist. This guide sets out, within the range of publicly available material, what a patent label is the result of examining and what it does not tell you. It does not judge the validity or scope of any individual patent, and it does not rank products against each other. This is a brand guide published by SKIN9HARI, and BSASM, the real-world example used below, is an ingredient formulated in our own Revive Therapy N.F Toner.

Does “patented ingredient” on a label mean it’s been proven to work?

A patent registration is the result of an examination of an invention. What the examination looks at is whether the invention can be used industrially, whether it is already known, and whether someone in that field could easily have arrived at it (see Article 29 of Korea’s Patent Act). The Korean government’s plain-language explainer for the public sums up these three as novelty, inventive step, and industrial applicability (see Requirements for patent registration).

An invention that is industrially applicable may be granted a patent, unless it falls under any of the following subparagraphs.

— Patent Act (Korea), Article 29 (unofficial translation)

Making claims about efficacy goes through a separate procedure. To sell a product recognized as a functional cosmetic in Korea, it has to undergo a review of its safety and efficacy, item by item, by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, or a report has to be submitted, and that efficacy review only covers the range of effects defined in the Cosmetics Act (see Article 4 of Korea’s Cosmetics Act and Review of functional cosmetics).

A cosmetics manufacturer, a responsible cosmetics seller, or a university, research institute, or the like prescribed by Ordinance of the Prime Minister that intends to sell, etc. a product recognized as a functional cosmetic shall, for each item, undergo a review of its safety and efficacy by the Minister of Food and Drug Safety or submit a report to the Minister of Food and Drug Safety.

— Cosmetics Act (Korea), Article 4 (unofficial translation)

The two procedures differ in who does the examining and what is examined. Getting a patent does not mean a product has gone through the functional cosmetics review. So read a patent label only as far as “this invention is registered.”

What does each label on the container actually confirm?

Each label confirms different things, and a different party confirms them. The table below compares five kinds of labeling often seen on cosmetics with patented ingredients against the same columns. It is not a table for scoring; it separates how far each label lets you check.

Each label fills in only one or two of these columns. The order is the same when you choose a toner with a patented ingredient: fill in the columns you can confirm, and don’t fill the rest with guesses.

Different labels confirm different things.

How do you look up a patent number on a skincare product?

If a patent number is printed, you can check it against the original right away. KIPRIS is an official service where anyone can search intellectual property information such as patents and trademarks for free (see KIPRIS).

1. Copy the patent number exactly as printed

Labels show a registration number beginning with “10-“, such as “Patent 10-0812596.” If the number on the product page differs from the one on the container, write down both.

2. Look up the number on KIPRIS

Enter the number and you can see the title of the invention, the application number and filing date, the registration date, and the patent holder. That is as far as one number can take you.

3. Check whether the patent holder’s name matches the brand

The patent holder field often shows the name of a company other than the brand. The company that made the raw ingredient holds the rights, and the brand is the one buying and using that ingredient.

Our own example is the same. The holder of patent 10-0812596, labeled on the Revive Therapy N.F Toner, is BioSpectrum, Inc., not SKIN9HARI (checked against the original patent certificate on July 27, 2026). Labeling a supplier’s patent is in itself a way of disclosing the source, but it gives no basis for reading it as technology the brand developed.

Copying the number exactly as written to look it up.

Can the label tell you how much of a patented ingredient is in the product?

No. A patent label shows that the ingredient was used; how much was used is separate information.

A complex ingredient made by combining extracts from several plants doesn’t appear on the full ingredient list under one name. BSASM is a supplier’s name for a complex combining extracts from 7 plants (green tea, centella, licorice, chamomile, Japanese knotweed, rosemary, and Baikal skullcap), and on the Revive Therapy N.F Toner ingredient list those 7 appear under their own ingredient names, scattered in different positions (compared against the original ingredient list on July 27, 2026). You can find each name one by one, but finding them doesn’t tell you the amount.

You also can’t convert the order of the list into amounts. If the public labeling gives no percentage, regard the amount as unconfirmed information.

For how a single ingredient can be listed under several names, see Hyaluronic Acid: Types, Molecular Weight, and How to Choose.

When should you see a dermatologist instead of reading more labels?

If any of the following apply, this is no longer the time to keep reading labels.

• There are spots that hurt even when you don’t press them.
• There is oozing, or the area feels warm.
• Swelling spreads quickly over a few days.
• Scars remain where spots have settled.
• Stinging or itching gets in the way of daily life.

You don’t have to fill in the whole table or wait a set period before getting care. If you notice these signs, seeing a dermatologist comes first.

Sometimes seeing a doctor comes before checking labels.

Why should raw-ingredient data and finished-product studies be read separately?

Raw-ingredient data look at that ingredient under set conditions, while a finished-product study looks at the actual product being sold. When the subjects and conditions differ, don’t carry the result of one over to the other.

This guide applied the same standard to our own data. The supplier’s data on this patented ingredient include results from studies in people, but because the study subjects and conditions differ from applying a toner, this guide does not cite those figures. The Revive Therapy N.F Toner, on the other hand, has separate clinical study data on the finished product itself rather than the ingredient, and its result wording and note are in the product section at the end of this guide.

For how centella, one of the 7 plants, is labeled and what forms it comes in, see Centella Asiatica: Types of Ingredients and How to Read the Label.

Related guides

• Centella Asiatica: Types of Ingredients and How to Read the Label

FAQ

What is BSASM in skincare?

MultiEx BSASM™ is a supplier’s name for a complex ingredient combining 7 plant extracts, and it is also the name of a patented ingredient. It is made up of green tea, centella, licorice, chamomile, Japanese knotweed, rosemary, and Baikal skullcap extracts.

Does “patented ingredient” on a label mean it’s been proven to work?

That isn’t how to read it. A patent examination checks whether an invention meets the requirements for a patent, while a cosmetic’s effects are handled by a different procedure: in Korea, the functional cosmetics review or report.

How do I look up a patent number printed on a cosmetic?

Search the number on KIPRIS and you can see the title of the invention, the filing date, the registration date, and the patent holder. It is an official service you can use for free.

Can you tell how much of a patented ingredient is in a product?

Not from the label alone. A complex ingredient is listed on the full ingredient list under its separate ingredient names, and you can’t convert the order of the list into amounts.

What does a “functional cosmetic” label mean on Korean skincare?

It means the product went through a review by, or a report to, Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety within the range of effects set by the Cosmetics Act. It doesn’t speak to effects outside that range or to how an individual responds, and getting a patent doesn’t count as going through this review.

I chose a product because of its patent label and it stings. What should I do?

Stopping use comes before rereading the label. If redness or stinging continues, or there is pain or oozing, consider seeing a dermatologist.

In one sentence

Read a patent label only as far as the fact that a registered invention exists, check the patent holder by its number, ask separately about the amount and study data, and if stinging continues, consider seeing a dermatologist.

SKIN9HARI products we recommend for this concern

If you want to try reading a patented-ingredient label on a real product, SKIN9HARI recommends the Revive Therapy N.F Toner. There are three reasons.

• It is formulated with the patented ingredient MultiEx BSASM™ (patent 10-0812596, held by BioSpectrum, Inc.), and its 7 plant extracts (green tea, centella, licorice, chamomile, Japanese knotweed, rosemary, and Baikal skullcap) are listed on the full ingredient list under their separate ingredient names, so you can follow this guide’s steps (read the label, look up the number, check the ingredient list, check the study data) on a single product.
• Separately from the raw-ingredient data, there is a clinical study of the finished product itself that evaluated comedogenic potential, and its conclusion was “assessed as suitable for use on acne-prone skin” (see the note below). The formula has not changed since the 2018 study, so the result applies to the toner sold today.
• It is labeled as a mildly acidic toner at pH 5.5–6.5, and it is irritation patch-tested.

Clinical study evaluating comedogenic potential: result “assessed as suitable for use on acne-prone skin” | Testing institution: Elead Co., Ltd. | Report No.: EL-180125057I007 | Study period: February 19 – April 13, 2018 | 12 occlusive patch applications over 4 weeks | Participants: 25 enrolled, 21 completed (mean age 29.24) | Individual results may vary

How to use it for this concern. Before you start, walk through this guide’s steps once. Find the number 10-0812596 in the patent labeling on the container and the product page and check the patent holder on KIPRIS, then pick out the ingredient names of the 7 extracts (green tea, centella, licorice, chamomile, Japanese knotweed, rosemary, and Baikal skullcap) on the full ingredient list, and confirm that the finished-product study in the note above is separate from the raw-ingredient data. That fills in all three columns, the label, the ingredient list, and the study data, on one product. Then put it in the step after cleansing and before moisturizing products: dispense a suitable amount onto your palm or a cotton pad, spread it along the skin’s texture or press it in lightly, and continue with a moisturizing product suited to how your skin feels. When you use it with other exfoliating products, watch how your skin responds, and if your skin has stung from ethanol or fragrance before, read the “check before use” wording (3.0% ethanol, contains fragrance) first.

If redness or stinging continues right now, or any of the signs above apply, seeing a dermatologist comes before any product. Results may not be the same for every skin type. Product information is on the Revive Therapy N.F Toner product page.

Sources

1. Ministry of Government Legislation (Korea), National Law Information Center. Patent Act, Article 29 (Requirements for patent registration). In Korean. Checked September 14, 2026.
2. Ministry of Government Legislation (Korea), Easy-to-Find Legal Information. Requirements for patent registration. In Korean. Checked September 14, 2026.
3. Ministry of Government Legislation (Korea), National Law Information Center. Cosmetics Act, Article 4 (Review of functional cosmetics). In force April 2, 2026, Act No. 20901. In Korean. Checked September 14, 2026.
4. Ministry of Government Legislation (Korea), Easy-to-Find Legal Information. Review of functional cosmetics. In Korean. Checked September 14, 2026.
5. Korea Institute of Patent Information. KIPRIS (Korea Intellectual Property Rights Information Service). Checked September 14, 2026.
6. SKIN9HARI. Revive Therapy N.F Toner product page. Published manufacturer information, checked July 27, 2026.

This guide is general skincare information, not medical advice. SKIN9HARI products are cosmetics and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. If a skin problem is painful, spreading, or persistent, see a dermatologist.