Skin science article
Beauty of Joseon Red Bean Water Gel Versus Belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb
Beauty of Joseon Red Bean Water Gel Versus Belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb This calming moisturizer is formulated around Panthenol and Allantoin to calm redness and hydrate skin. This calming moisturizer is formulated around Avena Sativa Kernel Extract and Cale
Beauty of Joseon Red Bean Water Gel Versus Belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb
This calming moisturizer is formulated around Panthenol and Allantoin to calm redness and hydrate skin.
This calming moisturizer is formulated around Avena Sativa Kernel Extract and Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract to calm redness and hydrate skin.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Butylene Glycol
Glycerin
1,2-Hexanediol
Methyl Trimethicone
Phaseolus Angularis Seed Extract
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Tromethamine
Glyceryl Glucoside
C12-14 Alketh-12
Maltodextrin
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Ethylhexylglycerin
Betaine
Panthenol
Allantoin
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Polyquaternium-51
Xanthan Gum
Disodium EDTA
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract
Glucose
Sodium Citrate
Beta-Glucan
Hydrolyzed Corn Starch
Citric Acid
Sucrose
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Caprylyl Glycol
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Tocopherol
Cyanocobalamin
Glycine
Serine
Glutamic Acid
Aspartic Acid
Leucine
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Alanine
Lysine
Arginine
Tyrosine
Phenylalanine
Proline
Threonine
Valine
Isoleucine
Histidine
Cysteine
Methionine
Phosphoric Acid
Ascorbic Acid
Sh-Oligopeptide-1
Sh-Oligopeptide-2
Sh-Polypeptide-1
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Methyl Trimethicone, Phaseolus Angularis Seed Extract, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Glyceryl Glucoside, C12-14 Alketh-12, Maltodextrin, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Betaine, Panthenol, Allantoin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Polyquaternium-51, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract, Glucose, Sodium Citrate, Beta-Glucan, Hydrolyzed Corn Starch, Citric Acid, Sucrose, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Caprylyl Glycol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Cyanocobalamin, Glycine, Serine, Glutamic Acid, Aspartic Acid, Leucine, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Alanine, Lysine, Arginine, Tyrosine, Phenylalanine, Proline, Threonine, Valine, Isoleucine, Histidine, Cysteine, Methionine, Phosphoric Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Sh-Oligopeptide-1, Sh-Oligopeptide-2, Sh-Polypeptide-1
Dipropylene Glycol
Alcohol Denat.
Dimethicone
Cyclopentasiloxane
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
PEG/PPG/Polybutylene Glycol-8/5/3 Glycerin
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Nepeta Cataria Extract
Rubus Idaeus Leaf Extract
Baptisia Tinctoria Root Extract
Stellaria Media Extract
Alchemilla Vulgaris Leaf Extract
Equisetum Arvense Leaf Extract
Urtica Dioica Leaf Extract
Sodium Hyaluronate
Niacinamide
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
PEG-150
Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate
Phenyl Trimethicone
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Carbomer
Squalane
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Dimethiconol
C14-22 Alcohols
Polysorbate 60
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Malachite Extract
Triethylhexanoin
Trisodium EDTA
Arachidyl Glucoside
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Sorbitan Isostearate
Glyceryl Stearate
Stearic Acid
Ceramide NP
Cholesterol
PEG-100 Stearate
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Citrus Aurantifolia Oil
Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Citral
Citronellol
Limonene
Geraniol
Linalool
Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Methyl Trimethicone, Alcohol Denat., Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, PEG/PPG/Polybutylene Glycol-8/5/3 Glycerin, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Nepeta Cataria Extract, Rubus Idaeus Leaf Extract, Baptisia Tinctoria Root Extract, Stellaria Media Extract, Alchemilla Vulgaris Leaf Extract, Equisetum Arvense Leaf Extract, Urtica Dioica Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Niacinamide, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Panthenol, PEG-150, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Phenyl Trimethicone, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Squalane, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Dimethiconol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, C14-22 Alcohols, Polysorbate 60, Butylene Glycol, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Malachite Extract, Triethylhexanoin, Trisodium EDTA, Arachidyl Glucoside, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sorbitan Isostearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearic Acid, Ceramide NP, Cholesterol, PEG-100 Stearate, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Citrus Aurantifolia Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Citral, Citronellol, Limonene, Geraniol, Linalool
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
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is a synthetic polymer. It is used to thicken, emulsify, and improve the texture of products.
As an emulsifier, it helps stabilize oil-in-water emulsions to give products an elegant feel when applied.
It can also form a thin protective film on skin. One study found that a formula using this polymer helped slow down how quickly other ingredients (like DEET) were absorbed through skin.
A 2024 study of over 1,300 patients confirmed that sensitization to this ingredient is rare. It is also non-mutagenic and has a clean track record.
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.
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.
Methyl Trimethicone is a type of silicone. It is a solvent and emulsifier.
Solvents are used to keep ingredients together in a product. They can help dissolve ingredients to stable bases or help evenly distribute ingredients throughout the product.
Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. It does this by preventing certain ingredients from separating.
Methyl Trimethicone does not get absorbed into the skin.
Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Tromethamine (aka THAM) is a synthetic amino acid that shows up in skincare as a helper ingredient.
It functions as a pH adjuster to help neutralize acidic ingredients and set a formula's pH to the right spot.
This matters a lot because a lot of actives (like vitamin C) needs a specific pH to work well and feel comfortable on skin.
Concentration use ranges from 0.1-1.0% depending on the formula.
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!