Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Cleansing Oil Versus Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Botanical Cleansing Oil

Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Cleansing Oil Versus Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Botanical Cleansing Oil

This oil-based cleanser is made to cleanse without leaving your skin tight or dry.

This oil-based makeup remover is made to dissolve makeup, sunscreen, and daily buildup.

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

Ethylhexyl Palmitate

Zea Mays Germ Oil

Isopropyl Myristate

Polyglyceryl-10 Dioleate

Polyglyceryl-6 Dicaprate

Oenothera Biennis Oil

Polyglyceryl-2 Oleate

Squalane

Coriandrum Sativum Seed Oil

Phenoxyethanol

Lavandula Angustifolia Oil

Isopropyl Lauroyl Sarcosinate

Dicaprylyl Ether

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Geranium Maculatum Oil

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil

Linalool

Citronellol

Geraniol

Limonene

Glyceryl Stearate Citrate

Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Zea Mays Germ Oil, Isopropyl Myristate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polyglyceryl-10 Dioleate, Polyglyceryl-6 Dicaprate, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Polyglyceryl-2 Oleate, Squalane, Coriandrum Sativum Seed Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Isopropyl Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Dicaprylyl Ether, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Geranium Maculatum Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Linalool, Tocopherol, Citronellol, Geraniol, Limonene, Glycine Soja Oil, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate

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.

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%.

Glycine Soja Oil is a plant-derived oil from soybean seeds. Like other oils, it is rich in essential fatty acids (mostly linoleic and oleic) that support skin hydration and barrier function.

The fatty acids are able to integrate into the lipid matrix of the stratum corneum to help soften skin and reduce water loss.

On top of that, soybean oil is rich in vitamins like vitamin E, a potent antioxidant.

Research on soybean's active components also point to anti-inflammatory, collagen-stimulating, antioxidant activity, and protection against UV-induced oxidative damage.

Most of this research applies to the broader soybean plant and not just the oil fraction alone.

This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe due to the oleic acid content.

Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.

You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.

Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.

It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.

This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.

This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.

In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.

Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.

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