Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Moist Sun Serum SPF 50+ PA++++ Versus Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Watery Sun Gel SPF 50+ PA++++

Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Moist Sun Serum SPF 50+ PA++++ Versus Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Watery Sun Gel SPF 50+ PA++++

This chemical sunscreen covers the full UV range and blocks ~98% of UVB at SPF 50.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Butylene Glycol

Dibutyl Adipate

Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate

Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine

Alcohol

Acrylates Copolymer

Butyloctyl Salicylate

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

Ethylhexyl Triazone

Phenethyl Benzoate

Arbutin

1,2-Hexanediol

Silica

Methylpropanediol

Isoamyl P-Methoxycinnamate

Polysilicone-15

Polymethylsilsesquioxane

Panax Ginseng Root Extract

Pentylene Glycol

Dibutyl Ethylhexanoyl Glutamide

Dibutyl Lauroyl Glutamide

C30-45 Alkyldimethylsilyl Polypropylsilsesquioxane

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Sodium Acrylates Crosspolymer-2

Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate

Ethyl Hexanediol

Hydroxyacetophenone

Panax Ginseng Berry Extract

Panax Ginseng Extract

Panax Ginseng Leaf/Stem Extract

Adenosine

Xanthan Gum

Disodium EDTA

Ethylhexylglycerin

Glycerin

Tocopherol

Water, Butylene Glycol, Dibutyl Adipate, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Alcohol, Acrylates Copolymer, Butyloctyl Salicylate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Phenethyl Benzoate, Arbutin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Silica, Methylpropanediol, Isoamyl P-Methoxycinnamate, Polysilicone-15, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Dibutyl Ethylhexanoyl Glutamide, Dibutyl Lauroyl Glutamide, C30-45 Alkyldimethylsilyl Polypropylsilsesquioxane, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Sodium Acrylates Crosspolymer-2, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Ethyl Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Panax Ginseng Berry Extract, Panax Ginseng Extract, Panax Ginseng Leaf/Stem Extract, Adenosine, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycerin, Tocopherol

Ethylhexyl Salicylate

Homosalate

Niacinamide

Cyclopentasiloxane

Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol

Pinus Pinaster Bark Extract

Ceramide NP

Centella Asiatica Extract

Portulaca Oleracea Extract

Houttuynia Cordata Extract

Olea Europaea Fruit Oil

Ficus Carica Fruit Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate

Ceteth-10

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Decyl Glucoside

Propanediol

Astaxanthin

Hyaluronic Acid

Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer

Ascorbyl Propyl Hyaluronate

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate

Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate

Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone

Tromethamine

Carbomer

Propylene Glycol

Water, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Homosalate, Dibutyl Adipate, Niacinamide, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Cyclopentasiloxane, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol, Polysilicone-15, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Pinus Pinaster Bark Extract, Ceramide NP, Centella Asiatica Extract, Glycerin, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Ficus Carica Fruit Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ceteth-10, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Decyl Glucoside, Propanediol, Tocopherol, Astaxanthin, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Ascorbyl Propyl Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Adenosine, Xanthan Gum, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Tromethamine, Carbomer, Propylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin

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.

This ingredient is better known as bemotrizinol or Tinosorb S and is one of the best broad-spectrum UV filters in modern sunscreen.

It works by absorbing UV light across a whole range (280-400 nm) with peaks around 310 nm (UVB) and 340-345 nm (UVA). This means it covers UVB plus the deeper UVA wavelengths that drive photoaging and pigmentation.

Another pro?

It's exceptionally photostable, barely degrades in sunlight, and acts as a "bodyguard" for less stable filters.

That's why you'll see it paired with avobenzone or octinoxate; this team up ensures they keep working through sun exposure.

Safety reviews have been reassuring across the board. This ingredient shows low absorption through the skin, rarely irritates, and lab studies found it doesn't act like a hormone in the body (a concern that's been raised about some older sunscreen filters).

On maximum concentrations:

In 2026, the US F.D.A finally added it as an OTC sunscreen ingredient at concentrations up to 6% for adults / children 6 months and older

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.

Dibutyl Adipate is a lightweight, oil-soluble ester that acts as an emollient and solvent. It helps products spread more easily and leaves a soft, silky, dry-touch finish without being greasy.

You'll likely see this ingredient in sunscreens because it does a nice job dissolving UV filters and keeping them evenly distributed.

This ingredient has been found to be safe as used in cosmetics, wasn't a skin or eye irritant in clinical patch testing, and wasn't phototoxic.

In a clinical comedogenicity test, this ingredient tested negative so it isn't likely to clog pores.

Typical use levels are about 5-8% for sunscreens + nail products, but can range from 0.005%-8% depending on the product.

Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate (DHHB) is a chemical UV-A absorber. It is formulated for high UVA protection (320-400 nm).

DHHB is well-liked for:

DHHB has been approved by the EU, Japan, Taiwan, and South America for use up to 10%. Unfortunately, it has not been approved for use in the US or Canada due to slow regulatory processes.

This ingredient is soluble in oils, fats, and lipids.

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.

Pentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:

Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.

On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.

Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.

Polysilicone-15 (trade name: Parsol SLX) is a silicone-based UVB filter that soaks up UVB light (~280-320nm) with a peak around 310nm.

It's a fairly modest sunscreen filter so formulators mostly use it as an SPF booster and "light stabilizer". This just means it helps keep other light-sensitive ingredients from breaking down in sunlight.

A 2007 study measured the in-vitro SPF of 18 filters and found Polysilicone-15 contributed an SPF of about 3.64 at its maximum legal concentration (though worth noting its maker points out that in-vitro tests tend to underestimate its real performance because of its large polymeric structure).

Usage levels vary; it's approved up to 10% as a UV filter in the EU, China, Japan, Australia, ASEAN, and Mercosur countries. In the US, it's only permitted up to 1% as a light stabilizer because the FDA hasn't reviewed it as a sunscreen active.

Typical use levels range from 1-3%.

The EU's scientific committee concluded that this ingredient is safe for use as a UV absorber up to 10%, and tests came back negative for irritation, phototoxicity, and photoallergy.

There is one case of allergic lip inflammation from a lip balm with this ingredient, though this is rare.

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.

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.

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