Skin science article
Beauty of Joseon Red Bean Water Gel Versus Vichy Capital Soleil SPF 50+ Dry Touch Face Fluid
Beauty of Joseon Red Bean Water Gel Versus Vichy Capital Soleil SPF 50+ Dry Touch Face Fluid This calming moisturizer is formulated around Panthenol and Allantoin to calm redness and hydrate skin. This hybrid sunscreen covers the full UV range and blocks ~98%
Beauty of Joseon Red Bean Water Gel Versus Vichy Capital Soleil SPF 50+ Dry Touch Face Fluid
This calming moisturizer is formulated around Panthenol and Allantoin to calm redness and hydrate skin.
This hybrid sunscreen covers the full UV range and blocks ~98% of UVB at SPF 50.
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
Diisopropyl Sebacate
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
Dimethicone
Alcohol Denat.
Titanium Dioxide
Octocrylene
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Drometrizole Trisiloxane
Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone
Stearic Acid
Triethanolamine
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
Parfum
Synthetic Wax
Aluminum Hydroxide
Glyceryl Stearate
Myristic Acid
Palmitic Acid
PEG-100 Stearate
Phenoxyethanol
Sodium Hyaluronate
Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid
Water, Glycerin, Diisopropyl Sebacate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Dimethicone, Alcohol Denat., Titanium Dioxide, Octocrylene, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Drometrizole Trisiloxane, Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone, Stearic Acid, Triethanolamine, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Parfum, Synthetic Wax, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Aluminum Hydroxide, Caprylyl Glycol, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Disodium EDTA, Glyceryl Stearate, Myristic Acid, Palmitic Acid, PEG-100 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum
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.
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.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Dimethicone Crosspolymer is a silicone created by modifying dimethicone with hydrocarbon side chains. Due to its large size, it does not penetrate skin. It is considered non-occlusive.
Dimethicone Crosspolymer is used to stabilize and thicken products. It also helps give products a silky feel.
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%.
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.
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!
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.