Skin science article
Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream Versus Lancôme Absolue Revitalizing & Brightening Soft Cream with Grand Rose Extracts
Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream Versus Lancôme Absolue Revitalizing & Brightening Soft Cream with Grand Rose Extracts This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Panax Ginseng Root Water and Niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier. This anti-aging m
Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream Versus Lancôme Absolue Revitalizing & Brightening Soft Cream with Grand Rose Extracts
This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Panax Ginseng Root Water and Niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier.
This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Capryloyl Salicylic Acid and Adenosine to soften the look of wrinkles.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Oryza Sativa Bran Water
Glycerin
Panax Ginseng Root Water
Hydrogenated Polydecene
1,2-Hexanediol
Niacinamide
Squalane
Butylene Glycol
Propanediol
Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Xanthan Gum
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Tromethamine
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Hydrogenated Coconut Oil
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
Ethylhexylglycerin
Adenosine
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Disodium EDTA
Hyaluronic Acid
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Sodium Hyaluronate
Honey Extract
Ceramide NP
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Coptis Japonica Root Extract
Raphanus Sativus Seed Extract
Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract
Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract
Phellinus Linteus Extract
Dextrin
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Water, Oryza Sativa Bran Water, Glycerin, Panax Ginseng Root Water, Hydrogenated Polydecene, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Squalane, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Coconut Oil, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Disodium EDTA, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Honey Extract, Ceramide NP, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Raphanus Sativus Seed Extract, Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract, Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract, Phellinus Linteus Extract, Dextrin, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Octocrylene
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
Alcohol Denat.
Dimethicone
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane
Octyldodecanol
Cetearyl Alcohol
PEG-20
Petrolatum
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Cetyl Alcohol
Hydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol
Phenoxyethanol
Propylene Glycol
Zea Mays Oil
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Tocopheryl Acetate
Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil
Oryza Sativa Bran Oil
Cetearyl Glucoside
Caprylyl Glycol
Polyacrylamide
PEG-100 Stearate
Glyceryl Stearate
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Dimethiconol
Pentylene Glycol
Laureth-7
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Jasminum Officinale Extract
Sodium Hydroxide
Oryza Sativa
Limonene
Hydrolyzed Soy Protein
Hydrolyzed Linseed Extract
Linalool
Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract
Citronellol
Coumarin
CI 19140
2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol
Citral
CI 14700
Parfum
Water, Octocrylene, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Alcohol Denat., Dimethicone, Glycerin, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Octyldodecanol, Cetearyl Alcohol, PEG-20, Petrolatum, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetyl Alcohol, Hydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol, Phenoxyethanol, Propylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Zea Mays Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Cetearyl Glucoside, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyacrylamide, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Xanthan Gum, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Disodium EDTA, Dimethiconol, Pentylene Glycol, Laureth-7, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Jasminum Officinale Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Oryza Sativa, Limonene, Adenosine, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Hydrolyzed Linseed Extract, Linalool, Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract, Citronellol, Coumarin, CI 19140, 2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol, Citral, CI 14700, Parfum
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.
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is a synthetic polymer. It is used to thicken, emulsify, and improve the texture of products.
As an emulsifier, it helps stabilize oil-in-water emulsions to give products an elegant feel when applied.
It can also form a thin protective film on skin. One study found that a formula using this polymer helped slow down how quickly other ingredients (like DEET) were absorbed through skin.
A 2024 study of over 1,300 patients confirmed that sensitization to this ingredient is rare. It is also non-mutagenic and has a clean track record.
Adenosine is a purine nucleoside that your body already makes in every cell. In skincare, it acts mainly as a skin conditioning and anti-aging agent.
The way it works is fairly well mapped out:
Your skin has cells called fibroblasts that build collagen (the stuff that keeps skin firm and smooth). Adenosine basically flips a switch on these cells that tells them to get to work making more collagen and other proteins. These cells slow down on their own as skin ages, so Adenosine helps give them a little nudge to keep going.
The clinical backing is pretty solid too.
A blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 126 women aged 45-65 tested a 0.1% cream twice daily and found real improvements in crow's feet and frown lines using a precise 3D skin-mapping technique; these changes showed up by week 3 and held at 2 months.
A later study using Adenosine-loaded dissolving microneedle patches reported gains in wrinkle depth, dermal density, elasticity, and hydration.
On concentrations, South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has set 0.04% as the approved functional anti-wrinkle level. You'll typically see this ingredient used somewhere in the 0.04-0.1% range since it works at low doses.
This ingredient has been found safe for cosmetics with the data showing no irritation or sensitization.
Overall, this is a great ingredient for any anti-aging routine and has no photosensitizing effect, so it suits both AM and PM use.
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.
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%.
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!
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.