Skin science article
Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Essence Water Versus Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Emulsion EX
Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Essence Water Versus Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Emulsion EX This calming essence is formulated around Panax Ginseng Root Water and Niacinamide to calm redness and hydrate skin. This anti-aging emulsion is formulated around
Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Essence Water Versus Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Emulsion EX
This calming essence is formulated around Panax Ginseng Root Water and Niacinamide to calm redness and hydrate skin.
This anti-aging emulsion is formulated around Panax Ginseng Root Water and Adenosine to soften the look of wrinkles.
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
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin)
Dimethicone
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Glyceryl Stearate
Carbomer
Cetearyl Alcohol
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Stearic Acid
Tromethamine
Glyceryl Caprylate
Parfum
Palmitic Acid
Methoxy PEG-114/Polyepsilon Caprolactone
Sorbitan Isostearate
Polysorbate 60
Narcissus Tazetta Bulb Extract
Hydrolyzed Ginseng Saponins
Ceramide NP
Linalool
Phenoxyethanol
Honey
Rehmannia Glutinosa Root Extract
Limonene
Paeonia Lactiflora Root Extract
Lilium Candidum Bulb Extract
Polygonatum Odoratum Rhizome Extract
Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract
Tocopherol
Water, Butylene Glycol, Panax Ginseng Root Water, Glycerin, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Dimethicone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Glyceryl Stearate, Carbomer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Stearic Acid, Tromethamine, Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Caprylate, Parfum, Palmitic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Methoxy PEG-114/Polyepsilon Caprolactone, Adenosine, Sorbitan Isostearate, Polysorbate 60, Narcissus Tazetta Bulb Extract, Hydrolyzed Ginseng Saponins, Ceramide NP, Linalool, Phenoxyethanol, Honey, Rehmannia Glutinosa Root Extract, Limonene, Paeonia Lactiflora Root Extract, Lilium Candidum Bulb Extract, Polygonatum Odoratum Rhizome Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Tocopherol
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.
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.
Panax Ginseng Root Water is created by distilling ginseng, popular herb from Asia.
According to a manufacturer, this ingredient has antioxidant and skin brightening properties.
Read more about the benefits of Panax Ginseng Root Extract.
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.