Skin science article
Cos De BAHA Vitamin B5 4% + Niacinamide 2% Serum Versus Beauty of Joseon Calming Serum: Green Tea + Panthenol
Cos De BAHA Vitamin B5 4% + Niacinamide 2% Serum Versus Beauty of Joseon Calming Serum: Green Tea + Panthenol This hydrating serum is formulated around Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract and Niacinamide to hydrate skin and calm redness. This calming serum is formul
Cos De BAHA Vitamin B5 4% + Niacinamide 2% Serum Versus Beauty of Joseon Calming Serum: Green Tea + Panthenol
This hydrating serum is formulated around Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract and Niacinamide to hydrate skin and calm redness.
This calming serum is formulated around Panthenol and Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate to calm redness and strengthen the skin barrier.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Propanediol
Glycerin
Pantothenic Acid 4%
Niacinamide
1,2-Hexanediol
Betaine
Sodium Hyaluronate
Allantoin
Rosa Damascena Extract
Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract
Artemisia Vulgaris Extract 72%
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Propanediol, Glycerin, Pantothenic Acid 4%, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Betaine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Allantoin, Rosa Damascena Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract, Artemisia Vulgaris Extract 72%
Water
Panthenol
Butylene Glycol
Methylpropanediol
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Tromethamine
Ethylhexylglycerin
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Artemisia Capillaris Extract
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Polyquaternium-51
Malt Extract
Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Coptis Japonica Root Extract
Water, Panthenol, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Methylpropanediol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Betaine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Allantoin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Artemisia Capillaris Extract, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Polyquaternium-51, Malt Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate
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
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Betaine is a humectant. Like hyaluronic acid, it helps attract and retain moisture in the skin. It’s known for being gentle and for helping the skin maintain balanced hydration.
Betaine is mainly used to improve hydration and support calmer skin. It helps skin cells regulate water balance because it functions as an osmolyte.
Some studies suggest betaine may support making skin tone more even.
Fun fact: Betaine naturally exists in the skin and the body. In cosmetic products, it can be either plant-derived (most commonly from sugar beets) or synthetically produced for consistency and stability.
Betaine is also known as trimethylglycine.
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.
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.