Acwell Licorice pH Balancing Cleansing Toner Versus Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Toner : AHA + BHA

Acwell Licorice pH Balancing Cleansing Toner Versus Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Toner : AHA + BHA

This brightening toner is formulated around Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract and Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract to brighten dull-looking skin and calm redness.

This smoothing toner is formulated around Glycolic Acid and Salicylic Acid to refine skin texture and clear breakouts.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Water

PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides

PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate

Dipropylene Glycol

1,2-Hexanediol

Poloxamer 184

Phenoxyethanol

Glycerin

Butylene Glycol

Rheum Palmatum Root Extract

Psidium Guajava Leaf Extract

Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Perilla Ocymoides Seed Extract

Poncirus Trifoliata Fruit Extract

Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil

Sodium Citrate

Disodium EDTA

Citric Acid

Tocopheryl Acetate

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract

Cimicifuga Dahurica Root Extract

Pueraria Lobata Root Extract

Propylene Glycol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Water, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Water, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Dipropylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Poloxamer 184, Phenoxyethanol, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Rheum Palmatum Root Extract, Psidium Guajava Leaf Extract, Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Perilla Ocymoides Seed Extract, Poncirus Trifoliata Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Sodium Citrate, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract, Cimicifuga Dahurica Root Extract, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Propylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin

Prunus Mume Fruit Water

Glycolic Acid

Tromethamine

Hydroxyacetophenone

Salicylic Acid

Vigna Radiata Seed Extract

Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract

Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract

Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract

Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract

Curcuma Longa Root Extract

Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract

Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract

Corallina Officinalis Extract

C12-14 Pareth-12

Xanthan Gum

Octyldodeceth-16

Water, Prunus Mume Fruit Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Glycolic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Tromethamine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Salicylic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Vigna Radiata Seed Extract, Disodium EDTA, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, C12-14 Pareth-12, Xanthan Gum, Octyldodeceth-16

Reviews

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.

It is a:

Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin

Emollient, helping to soften skin

Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas

Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.

Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.

Dipropylene Glycol is a synthetically created humectant, stabilizer, and solvent.

This ingredient helps:

Dipropylene glycol is technically an alcohol, but it belongs to the glycol family (often considered part of the ‘good’ alcohols). This means it is hydrating and gentle on skin unlike drying solvent alcohols like denatured alcohol.

As a masking agent, Dipropylene Glycol can be used to cover the smell of other ingredients. However, it does not have a scent.

Studies show Dipropylene Glycol is considered safe to use in skincare.

Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.

This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:

On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.

One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).

Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.

You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.

Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:

The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.

Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.

Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.

Topically, glycerin does several things at once:

Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.

Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.

This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.

Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.

You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!

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