Beauty of Joseon Glow Replenishing Rice Milk Versus iUNIK Beta-Glucan Lacto Barrier Milk Essence

Beauty of Joseon Glow Replenishing Rice Milk Versus iUNIK Beta-Glucan Lacto Barrier Milk Essence

This hydrating toner is formulated around Oryza Sativa Extract and Panthenol to hydrate skin and strengthen the skin barrier.

This barrier-repair essence is formulated around Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate and Panthenol to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Methylpropanediol

Propanediol

1,2-Hexanediol

Glycerin

Glycereth-26

Polymethyl Methacrylate

Oryza Sativa Extract

Coptis Japonica Root Extract

Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract

Amaranthus Caudatus Seed Extract

Ficus Carica Fruit Extract

Centella Asiatica Extract

Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Sodium Hyaluronate

Panthenol

Hydroxyethyl Urea

Aluminum Chlorohydrate

Butylene Glycol

Microcrystalline Cellulose

Sodium Citrate

Kaolin

Ethylhexylglycerin

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Citric Acid

Dextrin

Ceramide NP

Tocopherol

Rice Amino Acids

Water, Methylpropanediol, Propanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycerin, Glycereth-26, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Oryza Sativa Extract, Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Amaranthus Caudatus Seed Extract, Ficus Carica Fruit Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Aluminum Chlorohydrate, Butylene Glycol, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Sodium Citrate, Kaolin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Citric Acid, Dextrin, Ceramide NP, Tocopherol, Rice Amino Acids

Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate

Isopentyldiol

Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil

Cetearyl Olivate

Sorbitan Olivate

Glyceryl Glucoside

Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate

Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Arginine

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Xanthan Gum

Disodium EDTA

Beta-Glucan

Niacinamide

Adenosine

Cynanchum Atratum Extract

Portulaca Oleracea Extract

Lecithin

Bakuchiol

Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate

Caprylyl Glycol

Sodium Phosphate

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Copper Tripeptide-1

Tripeptide-1

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

Hexapeptide-9

Nonapeptide-1

Sh-Oligopeptide-1

Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Isopentyldiol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Glyceryl Glucoside, Panthenol, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Arginine, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Beta-Glucan, Niacinamide, Adenosine, Cynanchum Atratum Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Lecithin, Bakuchiol, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Phosphate, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Copper Tripeptide-1, Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Hexapeptide-9, Nonapeptide-1, Sh-Oligopeptide-1

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

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.

Centella Asiatica Extract (Centella) is one of the most researched botanical extracts in skincare with decades of studies backing its effects on inflammation, collagen, and the skin barrier.

That research keeps pointing back to the same four triterpenoid saponins: Asiaticoside, Madecassoside, Asiatic Acid, and Madecassic Acid.

These compounds allow centella to dial back inflammation, encourage the skin to build and hold onto collagen, support the barrier and hydration, and bring solid antioxidant activity to protect against signs of aging.

Centella also carries a nice supporting cast of Vitamin A, vitamin C, several B vitamins, and amino acids. Put it all together and you get an ingredient that soothes, hydrates, and protects, all at once.

Most of centella's magic comes from the four big compounds (Asiaticoside, Madecassoside, Asiatic Acid, and Madecassic Acid). These are the actives doing the heavy lifting in almost every centella study.

Here is the short version of what they do in the skin:

So it is not just soothing for the sake of soothing. Centella calms the skin AND helps it rebuild.

Just FYI, not all centella on an ingredient list is the same. What you are getting actually depends on the extract:

Fun fact on the ratios: the leaves tend to be richest in Madecassoside and Asiaticoside, and lower in the two acids. The exact amounts shift with where the plant is grown and how it is processed. This means purity really does vary brand to brand.

Centella is one of the most easygoing actives out there.

It layers well with basically everything: niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, peptides, and vitamin C, and also pairs nicely with stronger actives like retinoids and exfoliating acids where it can help take the edge off irritation.

On the safety side, centella and its triterpenes are classified as weak sensitizers, meaning allergic reactions are possible but uncommon.

Patch tests at 1% and 5% came back negative in test panels, and creams at typical use levels did not cause allergic reactions across large groups of people.

But as with any new active, a patch test is still a smart move for very reactive skin.

Centella is widely used because it is effective at low percentages. For context, human safety testing found no meaningful irritation from creams containing centella extract at everyday use levels (the tested amounts were well under 1%).

The irritancy threshold in animal testing was also above 30% (so real-world formulas sit far below anything concerning).

In collagen lab studies, higher concentrations drove more collagen synthesis, so serums built around centella tend to feature it more prominently.

Bottom line: you will find centella working nicely anywhere from a fraction of a percent up to hero-ingredient levels depending on whether it is a supporting soother or the main event.

Fun fact: Centella has been used as a medicine and in food for many centuries. As a medicine, it is used to treat burns, scratches, and wounds.

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.

Hydrogenated Lecithin is a more stable version of lecithin.

It's made by taking lecithin (a phospholipid commonly found in soybeans and egg yolks) and hydrogenating it. This just means the unsaturated fatty acids are turned into saturated ones so they don't go bad as easily.

This ingredient is an emollient, emulsifier, and penetration enhancer. As an emollient, it helps soften and hydrate skin by trapping moisture within. As an emulsifier, it prevents oil and water ingredients from separating.

Hydrogenated Lecithin can form tiny spherical structures made of phospholipid bilayers called liposomes. These liposomes are able to capture compounds inside their structure and deliver them through the skin barrier.

Because phospholipids are a natural component of our cell membranes, this ingredient is inherently compatible with skin.

A 2021 study found lecithin-based surfactants were less harsh and more tolerable comared to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).

Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.

There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.

D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.

Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):

Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.

This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.

Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.

This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.

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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