Skin science article
Anua Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner Versus Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Toner : AHA + BHA
Anua Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner Versus Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Toner : AHA + BHA This brightening toner is formulated around Niacinamide and Oryza Sativa Extract to brighten dull-looking skin and hydrate skin. This smoothing toner is formulated ar
Anua Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner Versus Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Toner : AHA + BHA
This brightening toner is formulated around Niacinamide and Oryza Sativa Extract to brighten dull-looking skin and hydrate skin.
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
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Oryza Sativa Bran Water 71%
Butylene Glycol
Glycerin
Dipropylene Glycol
Niacinamide
Propanediol
Water
1,2-Hexanediol
Methyl Gluceth-20
Panthenol
Betaine
Oryza Sativa Extract
Hydroxyacetophenone
Diphenyl Dimethicone
Triethylhexanoin
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Adenosine
Ethylhexylglycerin
Carbomer
Tromethamine
Xanthan Gum
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract
Sodium Hyaluronate
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic Acid
Dextrin
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Oryza Sativa Seed Protein
Ceramide NP
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
Arbutin
Ascorbic Acid
Allantoin
Ceramide AP
Phytosphingosine
Cholesterol
Ceramide EOP
Oryza Sativa Bran Water 71%, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Propanediol, Water, 1,2-Hexanediol, Methyl Gluceth-20, Panthenol, Betaine, Oryza Sativa Extract, Hydroxyacetophenone, Diphenyl Dimethicone, Triethylhexanoin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Adenosine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Dextrin, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Oryza Sativa Seed Protein, Ceramide NP, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Arbutin, Ascorbic Acid, Allantoin, Ceramide AP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Ceramide EOP
Prunus Mume Fruit Water
Glycolic Acid
Salicylic Acid
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
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.
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.
Hydroxyacetophenone is a small phenolic molecule that earns its place in a formulas as an antioxidant and preservative booster.
As a phenol, it is able to neutralize free radicals to protect both the product and the skin from oxidative stress.
Though it can't kill microbes on its own, it works as a good supporting agent when combined with other preservatives like Phenoxyethanol or 1,2-Hexanediol.
This ingredient naturally occurs as piceol in Norwegian spruce needles (~0.4-1.1% dry weight and in cloudberries). Though the cosmetic-grade material is synthesized for purity and consistency.
You'll usually see it used at low levels and suppliers recommend up to 1% added to a water phase.
Safety testing was done at concentrations like 0.05% in SPF products and 0.5% in a Human Repeated Insult Patch Test. The safety evidence is assuring; this ingredient is safe for cosmetics in current use and also holds safety status as a food flavoring as well.
An honest caveat: the "soothing" and "anti-inflammatory" claims come mostly from supplier marketing rather than published clinical trials. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review's own literature search found no useful efficacy studies on this ingredient.
So the antioxidant and preservative-boosting roles are the well supported ones while the calming benefit is plausible but thinly evidenced.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated, low-irritation multitasker that quietly helps a formula stay fresh and stable.
Tromethamine (aka THAM) is a synthetic amino acid that shows up in skincare as a helper ingredient.
It functions as a pH adjuster to help neutralize acidic ingredients and set a formula's pH to the right spot.
This matters a lot because a lot of actives (like vitamin C) needs a specific pH to work well and feel comfortable on skin.
Concentration use ranges from 0.1-1.0% depending on the formula.
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!
Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.