Beauty of Joseon Red Bean Hydrating Serum Versus Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Skin Barrier Serum

Beauty of Joseon Red Bean Hydrating Serum Versus Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Skin Barrier Serum

This hydrating serum is formulated around Beta-Glucan to hydrate skin and calm redness.

This barrier-repair serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Panax Ginseng Root Extract to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Butylene Glycol

1,2-Hexanediol

Pentylene Glycol

Glyceryl Glucoside

Glycereth-26

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Chondrus Crispus Extract

Glucose

Chlorella Vulgaris Extract

Saccharum Officinarum Extract

Phaseolus Angularis Seed Extract

Fructose

Fructooligosaccharides

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Ethylhexylglycerin

Sodium Hyaluronate

Allantoin

Carbomer

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Arginine

Disodium EDTA

Beta-Glucan

Cyanocobalamin

Soluble Collagen

Tocopherol

Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Glyceryl Glucoside, Glycereth-26, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Glucose, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Phaseolus Angularis Seed Extract, Fructose, Fructooligosaccharides, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Allantoin, Carbomer, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Arginine, Disodium EDTA, Beta-Glucan, Cyanocobalamin, Soluble Collagen, Tocopherol

Dipropylene Glycol

Niacinamide

Methylpropanediol

Propanediol

Trehalose

Tromethamine

Corchorus Olitorius Leaf Extract

Nelumbo Nucifera Root Extract

Hibiscus Esculentus Fruit Extract

Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract

Angelica Keiskei Extract

Sodium Polyacrylate

Adenosine

Xanthan Gum

Dextrin

Theobroma Cacao Extract

Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract

Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract

Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer

Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract

Panax Ginseng Root Extract

Curcuma Longa Root Extract

Corallina Officinalis Extract

Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract

Centella Asiatica Extract

Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate

Phellinus Linteus Extract

Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate

Hyaluronic Acid

Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer

Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate

Potassium Hyaluronate

Water, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Methylpropanediol, Propanediol, Trehalose, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Corchorus Olitorius Leaf Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Root Extract, Hibiscus Esculentus Fruit Extract, Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract, Angelica Keiskei Extract, Sodium Polyacrylate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Xanthan Gum, Dextrin, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Disodium EDTA, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Beta-Glucan, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Phellinus Linteus Extract, Tocopherol, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Potassium Hyaluronate

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

Beta-Glucan is a soluble polysaccharide (a chain of glucose sugars) sourced from the cells walls of oats, baker's yeast, mushrooms, and seaweed.

It's a rare ingredient that pulls double-duty as a heavy-duty hydrator and skin-soothing repair agent.

On the surface, it acts as a humectant that holds water in place and reduces moisture loss for a plumper, smoother feel, while its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties make it a great pick for calming redness or sensitive skin

The more interesting story is underneath:

Despite its large molecular size, oat beta-glucan has been shown to penetrate the epidermis and reach the dermis by slipping between skin cells. Here, it interacts with fibroblasts and macrophages to nudge collagen synthesis and support wound repair.

A small 2005 split-face clinical study of 27 subjects found topical beta-glucan produced measurable reductions in wrinkle depth, height, and roughness after 8 weeks of use.

It is worth noting the trial was small and the penetration testing used frozen, irradiated skin so the anti-aging data is encouraging rather than definitive.

This ingredient gets along with pretty much everything and is typically used around 0.1-1%.

Fungal acne: This ingredient is not a food source for the Malassezia yeast because it is a glucose polysaccharide with no fatty acid or ester component.

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.

Carbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.

Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.

It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.

Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.

A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.

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.

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid (HA) that is broken down into lower molecular weight fragments.

It's a humectant that pulls and holds water in the skin to help with hydration, plumpness, and reduce transepidermal water loss.

Because hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid is smaller in size, it can slip past your outermost layer of skin more easily than full-sized HA.

Most formulations will combine all sizes to get the best of both worlds.

Typical usage levels range from 0.01-1%. Any percentage higher than 2% might become goopy and tacky.

Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.

In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.

Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:

Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.

Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.

You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.

Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.

You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.

Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.

It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.

This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.

This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.

In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.

Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.

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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