Skin science article
Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Cleansing Oil Versus COSRX Cica Creamy Foam Cleanser
Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Cleansing Oil Versus COSRX Cica Creamy Foam Cleanser This oil-based cleanser is made to cleanse without leaving your skin tight or dry. What's inside Key Ingredients Benefits Concerns Ingredients Side-by-side Glycine Soja Oil Cetyl Eth
Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Cleansing Oil Versus COSRX Cica Creamy Foam Cleanser
This oil-based cleanser is made to cleanse without leaving your skin tight or dry.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Glycine Soja Oil
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
Sorbeth-30 Tetraoleate
Isododecane
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Camellia Japonica Seed Oil
Hydrogenated Coconut Oil
Octyldodecanol
Polybutene
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Water
Tocopherol
Salvia Officinalis Oil
Panax Ginseng Seed Oil
Artemisia Vulgaris Oil
Ocimum Basilicum Oil
Corylus Avellana Seed Oil
Nigella Sativa Seed Oil
Butylene Glycol
Panax Ginseng Berry Extract
Glycerin
1,2-Hexanediol
Methylpropanediol
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Ethyl Hexanediol
Panax Ginseng Extract
Panax Ginseng Leaf/Stem Extract
Ethylhexylglycerin
Glycine Soja Oil, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Sorbeth-30 Tetraoleate, Isododecane, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Coconut Oil, Octyldodecanol, Polybutene, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Water, Tocopherol, Salvia Officinalis Oil, Panax Ginseng Seed Oil, Artemisia Vulgaris Oil, Ocimum Basilicum Oil, Corylus Avellana Seed Oil, Nigella Sativa Seed Oil, Butylene Glycol, Panax Ginseng Berry Extract, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Methylpropanediol, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Ethyl Hexanediol, Panax Ginseng Extract, Panax Ginseng Leaf/Stem Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin
Myristic Acid
Palmitic Acid
Stearic Acid
Lauric Acid
Potassium Hydroxide
Glyceryl Stearate
Polyquaternium-7
Citrus Limon Fruit Extract
Citrus Nobilis Oil
Disodium EDTA
Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Pinus Palustris Oil
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Sodium Benzoate
Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Amber Powder
Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract
Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Corallina Officinalis Extract
Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine
Sucrose Stearate
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cetearyl Alcohol
Centella Asiatica Root Extract
Asiatic Acid
Asiaticoside
Madecassic Acid
Madecassoside
Water, Glycerin, Myristic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Lauric Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Glyceryl Stearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyquaternium-7, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Citrus Nobilis Oil, Disodium EDTA, Butylene Glycol, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Pinus Palustris Oil, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Amber Powder, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sucrose Stearate, Centella Asiatica Extract, Cetearyl Alcohol, Centella Asiatica Root Extract, Asiatic Acid, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, Madecassoside
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.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
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!