Beauty of Joseon Matte Sun Stick: Mugwort + Camelia SPF 50 PA++++ Versus Skintific Mugwort Clay Stick Mask

Beauty of Joseon Matte Sun Stick: Mugwort + Camelia SPF 50 PA++++ Versus Skintific Mugwort Clay Stick Mask

This chemical sunscreen covers the full UV range and blocks ~98% of UVB at SPF 50.

This wash off mask is formulated around Salicylic Acid to clear breakouts and unclog pores.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer

Synthetic Wax

Dibutyl Adipate

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Isopropyl Palmitate

Caprylyl Methicone

Caprylyl Trimethicone

Ethylhexyl Palmitate

Silica

Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer

Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate

Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine

Boron Nitride

Butyloctyl Salicylate

Ethylhexyl Triazone

Microcrystalline Wax

Polysilicone-15

Vinyldimethicone

Camellia Japonica Seed Oil

Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebacate

Curcuma Longa Root Extract

Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract

Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract

Corallina Officinalis Extract

Melia Azadirachta Bark Extract

Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract

Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil

Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract

Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract

Amber Powder

Water

Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

1,2-Hexanediol

Artemisia Capillaris Extract

Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil

Hyaluronic Acid

Panthenol

Butylene Glycol

Propanediol

Bambusa Vulgaris Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Glycerin

Methylpropanediol

Centella Asiatica Extract

Morinda Citrifolia Extract

Vigna Radiata Seed Extract

Ethylhexylglycerin

Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Synthetic Wax, Dibutyl Adipate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Caprylyl Methicone, Caprylyl Trimethicone, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Silica, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Boron Nitride, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Microcrystalline Wax, Polysilicone-15, Vinyldimethicone, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebacate, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Melia Azadirachta Bark Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Amber Powder, Water, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Artemisia Capillaris Extract, Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil, Hyaluronic Acid, Panthenol, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Bambusa Vulgaris Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Methylpropanediol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Morinda Citrifolia Extract, Vigna Radiata Seed Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin

Kaolin

Artemisia Vulgaris Extract

Diglycerin

Mica

PEG-32

Sodium Palmitate

Glyceryl Polymethacrylate

Pvm/Ma Copolymer

Ceramide EOP

Ceramide AP

Ceramide Ns

Ceramide Ng

Ceramide As

Ceramide NP

CI 77289

Phenoxyethanol

PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil

CI 77492

Menthyl Lactate

Beta-Glucan

Verbascum Thapsus Extract

Niacinamide

Salicylic Acid

Pinus Densiflora Leaf Extract

Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate

Saccharide Isomerate

Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin

Dipropylene Glycol

Rhamnose

Water, Kaolin, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Artemisia Vulgaris Extract, Diglycerin, Mica, PEG-32, Sodium Palmitate, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Pvm/Ma Copolymer, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide Ng, Ceramide As, Ceramide NP, CI 77289, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, CI 77492, Menthyl Lactate, Beta-Glucan, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Verbascum Thapsus Extract, Niacinamide, Centella Asiatica Extract, Salicylic Acid, Pinus Densiflora Leaf Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Saccharide Isomerate, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Dipropylene Glycol, Rhamnose, 1,2-Hexanediol

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.

Curcuma Longa Root Extract comes from the rhizome (underground stem) of the turmeric plant.

While the official EU Cosing Database lists this ingredient as a fragrance, it actually does more than give products a scent.

This ingredient contains a group of yellow pigments called curcuminoids (mostly curcumin) that give it genuine antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity in skin.

Reviews of topical clinical studies have found turmeric/curcumin to be generally well-tolerated and useful across conditions like eczema and mild inflammation.

One thing working in its favor is that curcumin barely penetrates; in lab skin-permeation testing, the curcuminoids mostly stayed in the outermost layer of skin. This is a good thing because its soothing and antioxidant activity is a surface-level job anyway.

At this time, industry data shows there's no single "correct" cosmetic percentage. It's used across a wide range depending on the product and varies from tiny fractions of a percent up to a few percent.

Allergy-wise, curcumin is a documented (but uncommon) contact allergen. It can also cross react with related plants, so anyone with a turmeric/ginger/cinnamon allergy or reactive skin should patch test first.

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.

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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