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Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Essence Water Versus L'Oreal Revitalift Crystal Micro-Essence

Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Essence Water Versus L'Oreal Revitalift Crystal Micro-Essence This calming essence is formulated around Panax Ginseng Root Water and Niacinamide to calm redness and hydrate skin. This smoothing essence is formulated around Salicylic Ac

Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Essence Water Versus L'Oreal Revitalift Crystal Micro-Essence

This calming essence is formulated around Panax Ginseng Root Water and Niacinamide to calm redness and hydrate skin.

This smoothing essence is formulated around Salicylic Acid and Capryloyl Salicylic Acid to refine skin texture and brighten dull-looking skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

No concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Panax Ginseng Root Water

Butylene Glycol

Glycerin

Propanediol

Niacinamide

1,2-Hexanediol

Water

Hydroxyacetophenone

Glyceryl Glucoside

Xanthan Gum

Panthenol

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Allantoin

Adenosine

Panax Ginseng Callus Culture Extract

Theobroma Cacao Extract

Dextrin

Glucose

Panax Ginseng Root Extract

Panax Ginseng Berry Extract

Lactobacillus/Panax Ginseng Root Extract Ferment Filtrate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Disodium EDTA

Panax Ginseng Root Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Propanediol, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Water, Hydroxyacetophenone, Glyceryl Glucoside, Xanthan Gum, Panthenol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Allantoin, Adenosine, Panax Ginseng Callus Culture Extract, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Dextrin, Glucose, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Panax Ginseng Berry Extract, Lactobacillus/Panax Ginseng Root Extract Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA

Alcohol

Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid

PPG-6-Decyltetradeceth-30

Caprylyl Glycol

Salicylic Acid

Sodium Hydroxide

P-Anisic Acid

Capryloyl Salicylic Acid

Acetyl Trifluoromethylphenyl Valylglycine

Parfum

Madecassoside

Benzyl Salicylate

Limonene

Linalool

Benzyl Alcohol

Pentylene Glycol

Yeast Extract

Tocopherol

Water, Butylene Glycol, Alcohol, Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid, Propanediol, PPG-6-Decyltetradeceth-30, Caprylyl Glycol, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, P-Anisic Acid, Adenosine, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Acetyl Trifluoromethylphenyl Valylglycine, Disodium EDTA, Parfum, Madecassoside, Benzyl Salicylate, Limonene, Linalool, Benzyl Alcohol, Pentylene Glycol, Yeast Extract, Tocopherol

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Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

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%.

Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.

It’s often used to:

Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.

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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The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
& further reading.

Connected source records selected through this article’s public topic index.

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Formula cabinet

Ingredients & structured notes

Ingredient index

Ingredients Explained

  1. 01These ingredients are found in both products.
  2. 02Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
  3. 031,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
  4. 04It is a:
  5. 05Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
  6. 06Emollient, helping to soften skin
  7. 07Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
  8. 08Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
  9. 09Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
  10. 10Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
  11. 11Though 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.
  12. 12C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate is a lightweight emollient made by combinig benzoic acid with fatty alcohols that are 12-15 carbons long.
  13. 13In cosmetics, it plays several roles:
  14. 14The Cosmetic Review Expert Panel has concluded the alkyl benzoate group to be safe as used in cosmetics; it wasn't found to be a skin irritant and unlikely to be absorbed due to its low water solubility.
  15. 15This report recorded almost 1000 reported uses with concentrations up to 59% in leave-on products but your cosmetics will typically use 0.5-15% depending on the product.
  16. 16It's often called a "SPF booster": this is because it keeps UV filters properly dissolved and evenly distributed to support a sunscreen's performance. It doesn't actually raise SPF on its own.
  17. 17Overall, this ingredient is well tolerated.
  18. 18This ingredient is fungal acne safe because it is an ester of benzoic acid.
  19. 19Think of this ingredient as two parts stuck together: an oily part and an acid part. Malassezia only gets a meal when it can snip off a fatty acid to eat. With C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, the acid part is benzoic acid, which isn't a fatty acid and which …
  20. 20Benzoic acid is actually used as a preservative to stop yeast from growing.
Source · skinsort.com
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Product index

Related product references

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Comparison edit

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