Peptide Skincare & BeautySkin science and ingredient guides

Skin science article

CeraVe Hydrating Cream-To-Foam Cleanser Versus Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser

CeraVe Hydrating Cream-To-Foam Cleanser Versus Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser This mild gel cleanser is made to cleanse without leaving your skin tight or dry. This mild gel cleanser is made to cleanse while calming and soothing your skin. Wha

CeraVe Hydrating Cream-To-Foam Cleanser Versus Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser

This mild gel cleanser is made to cleanse without leaving your skin tight or dry.

This mild gel cleanser is made to cleanse while calming and soothing your skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate

Coco-Betaine

Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate

Sodium Chloride

PCA

PPG-5-Ceteth-20

PEG-100 Stearate

PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate

PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides

PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate

CI 77891

Aspartic Acid

Ceramide NP

Ceramide AP

Ceramide EOP

Sorbitan Isostearate

Carbomer

Glycol Distearate

Glyceryl Stearate

Glyceryl Oleate

Glycine

Trideceth-6

Cetearyl Alcohol

Behentrimonium Methosulfate

Threonine

Sodium Hydroxide

Salicylic Acid

Sodium PCA

Sodium Lactate

Arginine

Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate

Serine

Sodium Benzoate

Valine

Sodium Hyaluronate

Proline

Isoleucine

Cholesterol

Phenoxyethanol

Alanine

Phenylalanine

Coconut Acid

Coco-Glucoside

Chlorphenesin

Disodium EDTA

Hydroxyethyl Urea

Citric Acid

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Caprylyl Glycol

Phytosphingosine

Xanthan Gum

Histidine

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Polyquaternium-53

Polyquaternium-39

Polysorbate 60

Ethylhexylglycerin

Benzoic Acid

Water, Glycerin, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Coco-Betaine, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Chloride, PCA, PPG-5-Ceteth-20, PEG-100 Stearate, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate, CI 77891, Aspartic Acid, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Sorbitan Isostearate, Carbomer, Glycol Distearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Oleate, Glycine, Trideceth-6, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Threonine, Sodium Hydroxide, Salicylic Acid, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Arginine, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Serine, Sodium Benzoate, Valine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Proline, Isoleucine, Cholesterol, Phenoxyethanol, Alanine, Phenylalanine, Coconut Acid, Coco-Glucoside, Chlorphenesin, Disodium EDTA, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Citric Acid, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Histidine, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Polyquaternium-53, Polyquaternium-39, Polysorbate 60, Ethylhexylglycerin, Benzoic Acid

Prunus Mume Fruit Water

Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine

Phaseolus Radiatus Seed Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Houttuynia Cordata Extract

Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract

Oryza Sativa Extract

Prunus Mume Fruit Extract

Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract

Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride

Sodium Isethionate

Butylene Glycol

1,2-Hexanediol

Hydroxyacetophenone

Dextrin

Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract

Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract

Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract

Propylene Glycol Laurate

Sodium Citrate

Water, Prunus Mume Fruit Water, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Phaseolus Radiatus Seed Extract, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Oryza Sativa Extract, Prunus Mume Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Coconut Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Isethionate, Citric Acid, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Dextrin, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Propylene Glycol Laurate, Sodium Citrate, Disodium EDTA

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.

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).

Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.

Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.

However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.

Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.

In skincare formulas, citric acid can:

While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.

Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.

Rosacea skin has a lower threshold for acids generally, with 62.5% of rosacea subjects in one study reacting to lactic acid in a sting test. This is why we mark citric acid as a potential rosacea trigger.

However, this ingredient shows up as a pH adjuster or chelator at roughly 0.1-1% in many products. These low levels are unlikely to be an issue for rosacea skin and becomes a potential trigger at exfoliating concentrations (20%). Because everybody's skin is unique, we recommend a patch test if you are unsure.

Coconut acid is a mixture of fatty acids obtains by hydrolyzing coconut oil and then distilling the fatty acid portion. It works as a cleansing surfactant, emollient, and emulsifier depending on the formulation.

This ingredient is not a single compound but reflects the fatty acid profile of coconut oil itself, which is about 90% saturated.

The dominant fatty acid is lauric acid (44-54%) and then myristic acid (13-19%). There are also small amounts of caprylic, capric, palmitic, oleic, and linoleic acids.

Human testing from CIR has shown no indication this ingredient to be a primary irritant, sensitizer, or phototoxic compound. It's COSMOS-approved for natural and organic products.

Due to the fatty acid content, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. Research has confirmed Malassezia can use lauric acid as a food source.

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.

Chances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.

You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.

You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.

You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.

Sodium cocoyl isethionate is a natural ingredient from coconut oil. It is an ultra gentle cleanser that gives a nice foam without drying the skin or impacting the skin barrier.

The amount of foam created depends on the amount of sodium cocoyl isethionate used in the product.

This ingredient also helps improve the spreadability of a product.

This ingredient hasn’t been shown in studies to feed fungal acne yeast.

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!

Similar Comparisons

The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
& further reading.

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

01

Formula cabinet

Ingredients & structured notes

Ingredient index

Ingredients Side-by-side

  1. 01Water
  2. 02Dibutyl Adipate
  3. 03Propanediol
  4. 04Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
  5. 05Polymethylsilsesquioxane
  6. 06Ethylhexyl Triazone
  7. 07Niacinamide
  8. 08Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol
  9. 09Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
  10. 10Caprylyl Methicone
  11. 11Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone
  12. 12Glycerin
  13. 131,2-Hexanediol
  14. 14Butylene Glycol
  15. 15Oryza Sativa Extract
  16. 16Oryza Sativa Germ Extract
  17. 17Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
  18. 18Lactobacillus/Pumpkin Ferment Extract
  19. 19Bacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract
  20. 20Saccharum Officinarum Extract
Source · skinsort.com
02

Product index

Related product references

Product

Beauty of Joseon Pore Firming Serum

Beauty of Joseon Pore Firming Serum Beauty of Joseon Pore Firming Serum ingredients explained: Water, Butylene Glycol, Methyl Gluceth-20, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Polysorbate …

Source: incidecoder.comView reference →
03

Comparison edit

Read side by side