COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser Versus Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser

COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser Versus Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser

This betaine salicylate gel cleanser is formulated around Betaine Salicylate to clear breakouts and unclog pores.

This gel cleanser uses mild cleansing ingredients, but contains alcohol that may feel drying for some.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Cocamidopropyl Betaine

Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate

Sodium Chloride

Polysorbate 20

Styrax Japonicus Branch/Fruit/Leaf Extract

Butylene Glycol

Saccharomyces Ferment

Cryptomeria Japonica Leaf Extract

Nelumbo Nucifera Leaf Extract

Pinus Palustris Leaf Extract

Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract

Oenothera Biennis Flower Extract

Pueraria Lobata Root Extract

Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil

Allantoin

Caprylyl Glycol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Betaine Salicylate

Citric Acid

Ethyl Hexanediol

1,2-Hexanediol

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

Sodium Benzoate

Disodium EDTA

Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Lauroyl Methyl Isethionate, Sodium Chloride, Polysorbate 20, Styrax Japonicus Branch/Fruit/Leaf Extract, Butylene Glycol, Saccharomyces Ferment, Cryptomeria Japonica Leaf Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Leaf Extract, Pinus Palustris Leaf Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Oenothera Biennis Flower Extract, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Allantoin, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Betaine Salicylate, Citric Acid, Ethyl Hexanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sodium Benzoate, Disodium EDTA

3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

Glycerin

Propanediol

Betaine

Methyl Trimethicone

Cetyl Ethylhexanoate

Panthenol

Prunus Mume Fruit Water

Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine

Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate

Hydroxyacetophenone

Coconut Acid

Sodium Isethionate

Phaseolus Radiatus Seed Extract

Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride

Dextrin

Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract

Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract

Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract

Propylene Glycol Laurate

Sodium Citrate

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Houttuynia Cordata Extract

Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract

Oryza Sativa Extract

Prunus Mume Fruit Extract

Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract

Centella Asiatica Extract

Laminaria Japonica Extract

Eclipta Prostrata Leaf Extract

Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract

Hydrolyzed Gardenia Florida Extract

Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract

Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Cetearyl Alcohol

Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Cetearyl Olivate

Silica

Bisabolol

Potassium Cetyl Phosphate

Sorbitan Olivate

Dipropylene Glycol

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer

Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters

Xanthan Gum

Alcohol

Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate

Adenosine

Fructooligosaccharides

Beta-Glucan

Sorbitan Isostearate

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Tocopherol

Maltodextrin

Arginine

Carbomer

Ascorbic Acid Polypeptide

Water, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Glycerin, Propanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Betaine, Methyl Trimethicone, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Panthenol, Prunus Mume Fruit Water, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Chloride, Hydroxyacetophenone, Coconut Acid, Sodium Isethionate, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Phaseolus Radiatus Seed Extract, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Dextrin, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Propylene Glycol Laurate, Sodium Citrate, Butylene Glycol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Oryza Sativa Extract, Prunus Mume Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Eclipta Prostrata Leaf Extract, Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract, Hydrolyzed Gardenia Florida Extract, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Cetearyl Olivate, Silica, Bisabolol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Sorbitan Olivate, Dipropylene Glycol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Xanthan Gum, Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Adenosine, Fructooligosaccharides, Beta-Glucan, Sorbitan Isostearate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Tocopherol, Maltodextrin, Arginine, Carbomer, Ascorbic Acid Polypeptide

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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