Skin science article
Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Essence Water Versus Numbuzin No.9 NAD+ PDRN Glow Boosting Toner
Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Essence Water Versus Numbuzin No.9 NAD+ PDRN Glow Boosting Toner This calming essence is formulated around Panax Ginseng Root Water and Niacinamide to calm redness and hydrate skin. This anti-aging toner is formulated around Niacinamid
Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Essence Water Versus Numbuzin No.9 NAD+ PDRN Glow Boosting Toner
This calming essence is formulated around Panax Ginseng Root Water and Niacinamide to calm redness and hydrate skin.
This anti-aging toner is formulated around Niacinamide and Sodium DNA to soften the look of wrinkles 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
Methylpropanediol
PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer
Tripropylene Glycol
Xylitylglucoside
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Anhydroxylitol
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Candida Bombicola/Glucose/Methyl Rapeseedate Ferment
C20-40 Pareth-10
Tocopheryl Acetate
Xylitol
Cetearyl Alcohol
Sodium DNA
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Ceramide NP
Sodium Phytate
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Citric Acid
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Sodium Citrate
Phytosterols
Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract
Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract
T-Butyl Alcohol
Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Corallina Officinalis Extract
Cyanocobalamin
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Adenosine Triphosphate
Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide
Resveratrol
Pullulan
Sodium Palmitoyl Sarcosinate
Palmitic Acid
C12-14 Alketh-12
Pisum Sativum Peptide
Stearic Acid
Polyglyceryl-6 Laurate
Caprylyl Glycol
Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate
Dextran
Hydrolyzed Elastin
Soluble Collagen
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3
Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract
Myristic Acid
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Mannose
Sh-Octapeptide-4
Sh-Decapeptide-7
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Copper Tripeptide-1
Hexapeptide-9
Nonapeptide-1
Tripeptide-1
Arachidic Acid
Collagen
Elastin
Glutathione
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Arginine/Lysine Polypeptide
Oligopeptide-29
Oligopeptide-32
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-9
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2
Acetyl Octapeptide-3
Acetyl Hexapeptide-1
Alanine/Histidine/Lysine Polypeptide Copper Hcl
Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester
Acetyl Sh-Pentapeptide-1
Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1
Dipeptide-4
Hexapeptide-11
Hexapeptide-12
Lauric Acid
Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17
Myristoyl Hexapeptide-16
Myristoyl Pentapeptide-4
Nicotinoyl Tripeptide-1
Nonapeptide-7
Nicotinoyl Tripeptide-35
Nicotinoyl Dipeptide-26
Nicotinoyl Dipeptide-23
Octapeptide-2
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
Pentapeptide-13
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-10
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-29
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8
Sr-(Oligopeptide-91 Clostridium Botulinum Polypeptide-1)
Tetrapeptide-44
Tetrapeptide-30
Tripeptide-10 Citrulline
Tripeptide-32
Tripeptide-29
Sh-Polypeptide-22
Sh-Oligopeptide-1
Sh-Polypeptide-1
Sh-Polypeptide-9
Sh-Oligopeptide-2
Sh-Polypeptide-11
Sh-Polypeptide-3
Sh-Polypeptide-16
Sh-Polypeptide-62
Water, Methylpropanediol, Niacinamide, PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer, Propanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Tripropylene Glycol, Glyceryl Glucoside, Xylitylglucoside, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Anhydroxylitol, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Candida Bombicola/Glucose/Methyl Rapeseedate Ferment, C20-40 Pareth-10, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xylitol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium DNA, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Glucose, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Ceramide NP, Sodium Phytate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Citric Acid, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Citrate, Phytosterols, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, T-Butyl Alcohol, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Cyanocobalamin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Butylene Glycol, Adenosine Triphosphate, Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide, Resveratrol, Pullulan, Sodium Palmitoyl Sarcosinate, Palmitic Acid, C12-14 Alketh-12, Pisum Sativum Peptide, Stearic Acid, Polyglyceryl-6 Laurate, Caprylyl Glycol, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Dextran, Hydrolyzed Elastin, Soluble Collagen, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3, Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract, Disodium EDTA, Myristic Acid, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Mannose, Sh-Octapeptide-4, Sh-Decapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Copper Tripeptide-1, Hexapeptide-9, Nonapeptide-1, Tripeptide-1, Arachidic Acid, Collagen, Elastin, Glutathione, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Arginine/Lysine Polypeptide, Oligopeptide-29, Oligopeptide-32, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-9, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2, Acetyl Octapeptide-3, Acetyl Hexapeptide-1, Alanine/Histidine/Lysine Polypeptide Copper Hcl, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Acetyl Sh-Pentapeptide-1, Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1, Dipeptide-4, Hexapeptide-11, Hexapeptide-12, Lauric Acid, Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17, Myristoyl Hexapeptide-16, Myristoyl Pentapeptide-4, Nicotinoyl Tripeptide-1, Nonapeptide-7, Nicotinoyl Tripeptide-35, Nicotinoyl Dipeptide-26, Nicotinoyl Dipeptide-23, Octapeptide-2, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Pentapeptide-13, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-10, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-29, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8, Sr-(Oligopeptide-91 Clostridium Botulinum Polypeptide-1), Tetrapeptide-44, Tetrapeptide-30, Tripeptide-10 Citrulline, Tripeptide-32, Tripeptide-29, Sh-Polypeptide-22, Sh-Oligopeptide-1, Sh-Polypeptide-1, Sh-Polypeptide-9, Sh-Oligopeptide-2, Sh-Polypeptide-11, Sh-Polypeptide-3, Sh-Polypeptide-16, Sh-Polypeptide-62
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
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%.
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.
Glucose is a simple sugar (a monosaccharide). In skincare, it is mostly a humectant and skin conditioning agent.
Mechanistically, it has multiple hydroxyl groups that hydrogen-bond to water. This pulls moisture into the upper layers of skin to keep the surface soft and hydrated.
It's worth knowing sugars are already a natural component of the skin's NMF (natural moisturizing factor) so it's a molecule that your stratum corneum is well-acquainted with.
Just so you know, glucose is hydrophilic (water-loving) and the stratum corneum is a strong barrier to hydrophilic compounds. This just means penetration is slow and most of the action is happening on the surface.
Gram-to-gram, glucose is not as efficient as a humectant as glycerin. This is why you'll likely see glycose paired with stronger humectants for a bigger hydration payoff.
In skincare, glucose is typically derived from corn or other starch sources.
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.
Glyceryl Glucoside is made from glycerol and glucose.
It is a humectant. Humectants help hydrate your skin by drawing moisture to it from the air.
Some foods that contain glyceryl glucoside include sake, miso, and wines.
Niacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.
And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.
You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.
In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.
If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.
When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.
In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).
Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.
Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.
The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.
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!