Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Toner : AHA + BHA Versus The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution

Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Toner : AHA + BHA Versus The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution

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

This smoothing toner is formulated around Glycolic Acid to refine skin texture and brighten dull-looking skin.

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

Rosa Damascena Flower Water

Centaurea Cyanus Flower Water

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water

Propanediol

Triethanolamine

Aminomethyl Propanol

Panax Ginseng Root Extract

Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract

Aspartic Acid

Alanine

Glycine

Serine

Valine

Isoleucine

Proline

Threonine

Histidine

Phenylalanine

Glutamic Acid

Arginine

PCA

Sodium PCA

Sodium Lactate

Fructose

Glucose

Sucrose

Urea

Hexyl Nicotinate

Dextrin

Citric Acid

Polysorbate 20

Gellan Gum

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

Sodium Chloride

Hexylene Glycol

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Benzoate

Caprylyl Glycol

Water, Glycolic Acid, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Centaurea Cyanus Flower Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water, Propanediol, Glycerin, Triethanolamine, Aminomethyl Propanol, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract, Aspartic Acid, Alanine, Glycine, Serine, Valine, Isoleucine, Proline, Threonine, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Glutamic Acid, Arginine, PCA, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Fructose, Glucose, Sucrose, Urea, Hexyl Nicotinate, Dextrin, Citric Acid, Polysorbate 20, Gellan Gum, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sodium Chloride, Hexylene Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol

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

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.

Glycolic Acid is arguably the most famous alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) with tons of research backing its benefits.

It is found naturally in sugar cane but the form used in skincare is usually synthetic for purity and stability.

Glycolic acid removes the top layer of dead skin cells to allow newer and fresher ones to emerge.

AHAs work by breaking down the structural “glue” that holds old skin cells in place. When that buildup is gone, your skin can renew itself more efficiently.

Research also shows glycolic acid stimulates collagen production, helping to firm and thicken the skin over time. This is one of its biggest advantages over other AHAs.

Overall, glycolic acid helps with:

Fun fact: Glycolic acid boosts skin hydration by helping it produce molecules that increase hyaluronic acid naturally.

To work best, glycolic acid products should have a pH between 3-4 (that’s where exfoliation is most effective but still gentle on skin).

The pH and concentration of a product are key to its effectiveness:

It is normal to feel a slight stinging sensation when using glycolic acid. This usually fades as your skin adjusts.

Because glycolic acid has the smallest molecular size in the AHA family, it can penetrate deeper, which enhances its effectiveness but also makes it more likely to irritate sensitive skin.

If your skin is very sensitive or prone to rosacea, glycolic acid may be too strong; in that case, try milder options like lactic acid or a PHA instead.

Recent studies suggest glycolic acid might even help protect against UV damage. But don’t skip sunscreen! Freshly exfoliated skin is more sensitive to the sun.

Glycolic acid is a skincare superstar. It smooths, brightens, hydrates, and firms the skin. Unless you’re highly sensitive, it’s well worth adding to your routine.

Read more about some other popular AHA's 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!

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