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Beauty of Joseon Revive Repair Serum: Ginseng + Snail Mucin Versus Beauty of Joseon Bubble Toner: Green Plum + AHA

Beauty of Joseon Revive Repair Serum: Ginseng + Snail Mucin Versus Beauty of Joseon Bubble Toner: Green Plum + AHA This calming serum is formulated around Panax Ginseng Root Water and Snail Secretion Filtrate to calm redness and strengthen the skin barrier. Th

Beauty of Joseon Revive Repair Serum: Ginseng + Snail Mucin Versus Beauty of Joseon Bubble Toner: Green Plum + AHA

This calming serum is formulated around Panax Ginseng Root Water and Snail Secretion Filtrate to calm redness and strengthen the skin barrier.

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

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

No concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Panax Ginseng Root Water

Water

Butylene Glycol

Snail Secretion Filtrate

Dipropylene Glycol

1,2-Hexanediol

Glycerin

Niacinamide

Propanediol

Trehalose

Carbomer

Tromethamine

Xanthan Gum

Centella Asiatica Extract

Ganoderma Lucidum Extract

Panax Ginseng Root Extract

Malt Extract

Sodium Polyacrylate

Adenosine

Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer

Disodium EDTA

Phellinus Linteus Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Forsythia Suspensa Fruit Extract

Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract

Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract

Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate

Panax Ginseng Root Water, Water, Butylene Glycol, Snail Secretion Filtrate, Dipropylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Propanediol, Trehalose, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Xanthan Gum, Centella Asiatica Extract, Ganoderma Lucidum Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Malt Extract, Sodium Polyacrylate, Adenosine, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Disodium EDTA, Phellinus Linteus Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Forsythia Suspensa Fruit Extract, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate

Prunus Mume Fruit Water

Glycolic Acid

Pentylene Glycol

Chlorella Vulgaris Extract

Portulaca Oleracea Extract

Chondrus Crispus Extract

Saccharum Officinarum Extract

Oryza Sativa Bran Water

Honey Extract

Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract

Sodium PCA

Glucose

C12-14 Pareth-12

Fructooligosaccharides

Fructose

Caprylyl Glycol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Sodium Phytate

Tocopherol

Ethyl Hexanediol

Water, Prunus Mume Fruit Water, Glycolic Acid, Dipropylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Oryza Sativa Bran Water, Honey Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Glycerin, Propanediol, Tromethamine, Sodium PCA, Glucose, C12-14 Pareth-12, Butylene Glycol, Fructooligosaccharides, Fructose, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Phytate, Tocopherol, Ethyl Hexanediol

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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.

Dipropylene Glycol is a synthetically created humectant, stabilizer, and solvent.

This ingredient helps:

Dipropylene glycol is technically an alcohol, but it belongs to the glycol family (often considered part of the ‘good’ alcohols). This means it is hydrating and gentle on skin unlike drying solvent alcohols like denatured alcohol.

As a masking agent, Dipropylene Glycol can be used to cover the smell of other ingredients. However, it does not have a scent.

Studies show Dipropylene Glycol is considered safe to use in skincare.

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.

Ginseng root is a well-loved ingredient in Asian skincare for good reason. It hydrates the skin, soothes irritation, and helps even out skin tone.

In traditional East Asian medicine, ginseng has been used for centuries both as food and as a healing remedy, and modern research continues to confirm its skin benefits.

One of the standout features of ginseng is its ability to improve blood circulation and oxygen delivery to the skin, bringing a fresh supply of nutrients to support overall skin health. It also has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This helps to protect your skin against damage from UV exposure, pollution, and daily stress.

Additionally, studies suggest that ginseng may help reduce hyperpigmentation by inhibiting tyrosinase, the enzyme involved in melanin production.

There are different types of ginseng used in skincare, and while they all share core benefits, their potency can vary.

Most products use fresh or white ginseng because it’s more affordable. However, red ginseng, produced by steaming the root, contains higher levels of ginsenosides, which are compounds with proven anti-aging effects. These ginsenosides help reduce the appearance of wrinkles and improve skin elasticity.

Note: All forms of ginseng are listed simply as “Panax ginseng” in ingredient lists. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about which type of ginseng is used in their ingredients.

For general antioxidant benefits, any ginseng extract will do, but for wrinkle care or firmer skin, red or fermented ginseng is often more effective.

In short, ginseng is a powerhouse ingredient that supports hydration, radiance, and resilience.

Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.

It’s often used to:

Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.

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!

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The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
& further reading.

Connected source records selected through this article’s public topic index.

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Formula cabinet

Ingredients & structured notes

Ingredient index

Ingredients Explained

  1. 01These ingredients are found in both products.
  2. 02Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
  3. 03Adenosine is a purine nucleoside that your body already makes in every cell. In skincare, it acts mainly as a skin conditioning and anti-aging agent.
  4. 04The way it works is fairly well mapped out:
  5. 05Your skin has cells called fibroblasts that build collagen (the stuff that keeps skin firm and smooth). Adenosine basically flips a switch on these cells that tells them to get to work making more collagen and other proteins. These cells slow down o…
  6. 06The clinical backing is pretty solid too.
  7. 07A blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 126 women aged 45-65 tested a 0.1% cream twice daily and found real improvements in crow's feet and frown lines using a precise 3D skin-mapping technique; these changes showed up by week 3 and held at…
  8. 08A later study using Adenosine-loaded dissolving microneedle patches reported gains in wrinkle depth, dermal density, elasticity, and hydration.
  9. 09On concentrations, South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has set 0.04% as the approved functional anti-wrinkle level. You'll typically see this ingredient used somewhere in the 0.04-0.1% range since it works at low doses.
  10. 10This ingredient has been found safe for cosmetics with the data showing no irritation or sensitization.
  11. 11Overall, this is a great ingredient for any anti-aging routine and has no photosensitizing effect, so it suits both AM and PM use.
  12. 12Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
  13. 13Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
  14. 14Your 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.
  15. 15Aquaporin-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.
  16. 16This 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.
  17. 17Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
  18. 18Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
  19. 19Niacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.
  20. 20And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.
Source · skinsort.com
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