Skin science article
Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser Versus COSRX Cica Creamy Foam Cleanser
Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser Versus COSRX Cica Creamy Foam Cleanser This mild gel cleanser is made to cleanse while calming and soothing your skin. What's inside Key Ingredients Benefits Concerns Ingredients Side-by-side Water Prunus Mume Fr
Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser Versus COSRX Cica Creamy Foam Cleanser
This mild gel cleanser is made to cleanse while calming and soothing your skin.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Prunus Mume Fruit Water
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Phaseolus Radiatus Seed Extract
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Glycerin
Sodium Chloride
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Houttuynia Cordata Extract
Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract
Oryza Sativa Extract
Prunus Mume Fruit Extract
Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Coconut Acid
Ethylhexylglycerin
Caprylyl Glycol
Sodium Isethionate
Citric Acid
Butylene Glycol
1,2-Hexanediol
Hydroxyacetophenone
Dextrin
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract
Propylene Glycol Laurate
Sodium Citrate
Disodium EDTA
Water, Prunus Mume Fruit Water, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Phaseolus Radiatus Seed Extract, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Oryza Sativa Extract, Prunus Mume Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Coconut Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Isethionate, Citric Acid, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Dextrin, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Propylene Glycol Laurate, Sodium Citrate, Disodium EDTA
Myristic Acid
Palmitic Acid
Stearic Acid
Lauric Acid
Potassium Hydroxide
Glyceryl Stearate
Polyquaternium-7
Citrus Limon Fruit Extract
Citrus Nobilis Oil
Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Pinus Palustris Oil
Sodium Benzoate
Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Amber Powder
Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract
Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Corallina Officinalis Extract
Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Sucrose Stearate
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cetearyl Alcohol
Centella Asiatica Root Extract
Asiatic Acid
Asiaticoside
Madecassic Acid
Madecassoside
Water, Glycerin, Myristic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Lauric Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Glyceryl Stearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyquaternium-7, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Citrus Nobilis Oil, Disodium EDTA, Butylene Glycol, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Pinus Palustris Oil, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Amber Powder, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sucrose Stearate, Centella Asiatica Extract, Cetearyl Alcohol, Centella Asiatica Root Extract, Asiatic Acid, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, Madecassoside
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.
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.
Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract is from the Neem tree. Neem trees originate from India.
Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract contains antioxidants. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells, such as pollution.
The flowers of this tree are lilac colored.
This ingredient is also known as neem leaf extract. It contains natural compounds like nimbidin, quercetin, and other polyphenols that give it antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory activity.
Lab studies have shown neem leaf extract can inhibit acne-related bacteria and help calm skin. Animal studies on wound gels using 1-3% neem leaf extract found it sped up healing without causing irritation.
A wound-healing study testing gels with the extract at 1%, 2%, and 3% concentrations and found none of them irritated the skin.
Most commercial products also use it in a similar low range (typically under 5%).
Allergy-wise, there are some case reports on neem oil causing allergic contact dermatitis so people with plant/botanical sensitivities may want to patch test first.
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!