Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Toner : AHA + BHA Versus Anua BHA 2% + Ceramides Gentle Exfoliating Toner

Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Toner : AHA + BHA Versus Anua BHA 2% + Ceramides Gentle Exfoliating Toner

This smoothing toner is formulated around Glycolic Acid and Salicylic Acid to refine skin texture and clear breakouts.

This smoothing exfoliator is formulated around Salicylic Acid and Centella Asiatica Extract to refine skin texture and strengthen the skin barrier.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Prunus Mume Fruit Water

Dipropylene Glycol

Glycerin

Glycolic Acid

Butylene Glycol

Tromethamine

1,2-Hexanediol

Hydroxyacetophenone

Salicylic Acid

Ethylhexylglycerin

Vigna Radiata Seed Extract

Disodium EDTA

Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract

Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract

Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract

Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract

Curcuma Longa Root Extract

Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract

Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract

Corallina Officinalis Extract

C12-14 Pareth-12

Xanthan Gum

Octyldodeceth-16

Water, Prunus Mume Fruit Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Glycolic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Tromethamine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Salicylic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Vigna Radiata Seed Extract, Disodium EDTA, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, C12-14 Pareth-12, Xanthan Gum, Octyldodeceth-16

C12-14 Alketh-12

Pentylene Glycol

Salix Alba Bark Extract

Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract

Ficus Carica Fruit Extract

Centella Asiatica Extract

Oenothera Biennis Flower Extract

Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract

Pinus Palustris Leaf Extract

Pueraria Lobata Root Extract

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Sodium Hyaluronate

Sodium Citrate

Citric Acid

Panthenol

Tocopherol

Ceramide NP

Zinc Sulfate

Triethylhexanoin

Cholesterol

Glyceryl Stearate

Hydrogenated Polydecene

Cetearyl Alcohol

Potassium C11-15 Alkyl Phosphate

Ceramide Ng

Phytosphingosine

Dimethicone

Ceramide As

Ceramide AP

Ceramide Ns

Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate

Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Potassium Hyaluronate

Hyaluronic Acid

Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer

Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate

Sodium Hyaluronate Dimethylsilanol

Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate

Glycine

Glutamic Acid

Glutamine

Lysine

Leucine

Methionine

Valine

Serine

Cysteine

Citrulline

Asparagine

Aspartic Acid

Isoleucine

Alanine

Arginine

Ornithine

Taurine

Tyrosine

Threonine

Tryptophan

Phenylalanine

Proline

Histidine

Ceramide EOP

Water, Dipropylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Salicylic Acid, C12-14 Alketh-12, Octyldodeceth-16, Pentylene Glycol, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract, Ficus Carica Fruit Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Oenothera Biennis Flower Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Pinus Palustris Leaf Extract, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Citrate, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Panthenol, Tocopherol, Ceramide NP, Zinc Sulfate, Triethylhexanoin, Cholesterol, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Cetearyl Alcohol, Potassium C11-15 Alkyl Phosphate, Ceramide Ng, Phytosphingosine, Dimethicone, Ceramide As, Ceramide AP, Ceramide Ns, Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Potassium Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Dimethylsilanol, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Glycine, Glutamic Acid, Glutamine, Lysine, Leucine, Methionine, Valine, Serine, Cysteine, Citrulline, Asparagine, Aspartic Acid, Isoleucine, Alanine, Arginine, Ornithine, Taurine, Tyrosine, Threonine, Tryptophan, Phenylalanine, Proline, Histidine, Ceramide EOP

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.

Dipropylene Glycol is a synthetically created humectant, stabilizer, and solvent.

This ingredient helps:

Dipropylene glycol is technically an alcohol, but it belongs to the glycol family (often considered part of the ‘good’ alcohols). This means it is hydrating and gentle on skin unlike drying solvent alcohols like denatured alcohol.

As a masking agent, Dipropylene Glycol can be used to cover the smell of other ingredients. However, it does not have a scent.

Studies show Dipropylene Glycol is considered safe to use in skincare.

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.

Octyldodeceth-16 is a lab-made ingredient that acts as an emulsifier that helps blend water + oil ingredients.

The Cosmetic Ingredient Review has deemed it safe for as in cosmetics and usage concentrations typically range from 0.1-2%.

Like other emulsifiers, this ingredient can cause mild skin irritation or sensitivity in a small amount of people. A patch test is reasonable if you have sensitive skin.

Salicylic Acid (also known as beta hydroxy acid or BHA) is a well-known ingredient for treating skin that struggles with acne and clogged pores. It exfoliates both the skin's surface and deep within the pores to help clear out buildup, control oil, and reduce inflammation.

Unlike AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids), salicylic acid is oil-soluble. This allows it to penetrate into pores which makes it especially effective for treating blackheads and preventing future breakouts.

Salicylic acid is also known for its soothing properties. It has a similar structure to aspirin and can calm inflamed or irritated skin, making it a good option for acne-prone skin that is also sensitive.

Concentrations of 0.5-2% are recognized by the U.S. FDA as an over-the-counter topical acne product.

It can cause irritation and/or dryness if one's skin already has a compromised moisture barrier, so it's best to focus on repairing that before introducing this ingredient into your routine.

While salicylic acid does not increase sun sensitivity, it’s still important to wear sunscreen daily to protect your skin.

If you are looking for the ingredient called BHA or Butylated Hydroxyanisole, click here.

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.

Similar Comparisons