Beauty of Joseon Calming Serum: Green Tea + Panthenol Versus Acwell Licorice Ph Balancing Advance Serum

Beauty of Joseon Calming Serum: Green Tea + Panthenol Versus Acwell Licorice Ph Balancing Advance Serum

This calming serum is formulated around Panthenol and Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate to calm redness and strengthen the skin barrier.

This brightening serum is formulated around Niacinamide to brighten dull-looking skin and calm redness.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Panthenol

Glycerin

Butylene Glycol

1,2-Hexanediol

Methylpropanediol

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Tromethamine

Betaine

Ethylhexylglycerin

Allantoin

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Artemisia Capillaris Extract

Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer

Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract

Polyquaternium-51

Malt Extract

Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract

Coptis Japonica Root Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate

Water, Panthenol, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Methylpropanediol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Betaine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Allantoin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Artemisia Capillaris Extract, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Polyquaternium-51, Malt Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Water

Polyglycerin-3

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Niacinamide

Propylheptyl Caprylate

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Xanthan Gum

Sodium Citrate

Citric Acid

Carbomer

Glyceryl Polymethacrylate

Disodium EDTA

Adenosine

Avena Sativa Kernel Extract

Beta-Glucan

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Cynara Scolymus Leaf Extract

Pteris Multifida Extract

Dextrin

Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract

Dipropylene Glycol

Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract

Tocopherol

Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract

Glutathione

Pinus Pinaster Bark Extract

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Water, Methylpropanediol, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Butylene Glycol, Polyglycerin-3, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Niacinamide, Propylheptyl Caprylate, Water, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Citrate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Carbomer, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Disodium EDTA, Adenosine, Tromethamine, Polyquaternium-51, Sodium Hyaluronate, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Beta-Glucan, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Cynara Scolymus Leaf Extract, Pteris Multifida Extract, Dextrin, Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract, Tocopherol, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Glutathione, Pinus Pinaster Bark Extract

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.

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.

Methylpropanediol is a synthetic solvent and humectant.

As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients, helping to evenly distribute ingredients throughout the product. This ingredient has also been shown to have antimicrobial properties which makes it a preservative booster.

Methylpropanediol is able to add a bit of moisture to the skin. It also helps other ingredients be better absorbed into the skin, such as salicylic acid.

Polyquaternium-51 is a polymer salt. It helps hydrate the skin by creating a film on top. This film traps moisture in, keeping your skin soft and hydrated.

Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.

In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.

Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:

Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.

Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.

You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.

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!

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