Skin science article
Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Moist Sun Serum SPF 50+ PA++++ Versus Lumi Vitamin Glow Mineral Sunscreen SPF50 PA++++
Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Moist Sun Serum SPF 50+ PA++++ Versus Lumi Vitamin Glow Mineral Sunscreen SPF50 PA++++ This chemical sunscreen covers the full UV range and blocks ~98% of UVB at SPF 50. This mineral sunscreen covers the full UV range and blocks ~98% o
Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Moist Sun Serum SPF 50+ PA++++ Versus Lumi Vitamin Glow Mineral Sunscreen SPF50 PA++++
This chemical sunscreen covers the full UV range and blocks ~98% of UVB at SPF 50.
This mineral 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
Zinc Oxide
Propanediol
Coco-Caprylate
C14-22 Alcohols
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Glyceryl Stearate
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Methyl Trimethicone
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Prunus Persica Fruit Extract
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract
Sodium Hyaluronate
Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
Menthone Glycerin Acetal
T-Butyl Alcohol
Glucose
Santalum Album Oil
Linalool
Geraniol
Limonene
Citronellol
Water, Zinc Oxide, Propanediol, Coco-Caprylate, C14-22 Alcohols, 1,2-Hexanediol, Butylene Glycol, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Methyl Trimethicone, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Prunus Persica Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Disodium EDTA, Menthone Glycerin Acetal, T-Butyl Alcohol, Glucose, Santalum Album Oil, Linalool, Geraniol, Limonene, Citronellol
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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.
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
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer is a synthetically created polymer. It's used as a film-forming agent and used to thicken the consistency of products.
Think of it as a supportive ingredient that helps your gel-creams feel silky, "cloud cream-like", and spread evenly without being greasy.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel evaluated it (along with 22 other acryloyldimethyltaurate polymers) and concluded it's:
Due to its large molecular size, it sits on the surface of skin rather than penetrating it.
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.
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate is a lightweight emollient made by combinig benzoic acid with fatty alcohols that are 12-15 carbons long.
In cosmetics, it plays several roles:
The 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.
This 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.
It'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.
Overall, this ingredient is well tolerated.
This ingredient is fungal acne safe because it is an ester of benzoic acid.
Think 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 the yeast can't use as food.
Benzoic acid is actually used as a preservative to stop yeast from growing.
The oily part is a blend of C12-15 fatty alcohols but fatty alcohols in this size range can support only a little Malassezia growth (mostly for one species of Malassezia as well).
In the ingredient, those alcohols stay locked inside the molecule. The yeast can only reach them by snipping the benzoate bond, and that type of bond is harder for it to cut than a normal fatty bond.
So not much gets released. And whatever does get snipped comes packaged with benzoic acid, which discourages yeast growth.
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.
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!