COSRX Pure Fit Cica Cream Versus Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream (Old Formulation)

COSRX Pure Fit Cica Cream Versus Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream (Old Formulation)

This calming moisturizer is formulated around Centella Asiatica Extract and Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract to calm redness and strengthen the skin barrier.

This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Adenosine to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Centella Asiatica Extract

Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract

Centella Asiatica Root Extract

Butylene Glycol

Glycerin

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

1,2-Hexanediol

Cetearyl Olivate

Sorbitan Olivate

Triethylhexanoin

Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil

Beeswax

Panthenol

Cetearyl Alcohol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Cyclohexasiloxane

Asiaticoside

Madecassic Acid

Asiatic Acid

Arginine

Madecassoside

Allantoin

Carbomer

Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Sodium Hyaluronate

Water

Pinus Pinaster Bark Extract

Centella Asiatica Extract, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Root Extract, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Triethylhexanoin, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Beeswax, Panthenol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Cyclohexasiloxane, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, Asiatic Acid, Arginine, Madecassoside, Allantoin, Carbomer, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Water, Pinus Pinaster Bark Extract

Niacinamide

Dipentaerythrityl Hexa C5-9 Acid Esters

Xanthan Gum

Cyclopentasiloxane

Polyacrylate-13

Polyisobutene

Polysorbate 20

Hydrogenated Lecithin

C14-28 Alkyl Acid

Stearyl Alcohol

Behenyl Alcohol

Dimethicone

Adenosine

Glyceryl Stearate Se

Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate

Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone

Stearic Acid

Tocopheryl Acetate

Sodium Polyacrylate

Olea Europaea Fruit Oil

Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil

Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Ceramide NP

Trehalose

Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract

Caprylhydroxamic Acid

Raphanus Sativus Leaf Extract

Oryza Sativa Bran Extract

Cucurbitaceae Extract

Orchid Extract

Honey Extract

Panax Ginseng Root Extract

Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil

Phytosphingosine

Ceteareth-20

Glyceryl Citrate/Lactate/Linoleate/Oleate

Parfum

Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Dipentaerythrityl Hexa C5-9 Acid Esters, Sodium Hyaluronate, Xanthan Gum, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Polyacrylate-13, Polyisobutene, Polysorbate 20, Hydrogenated Lecithin, C14-28 Alkyl Acid, Stearyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethicone, Adenosine, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Stearic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Centella Asiatica Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Ceramide NP, Trehalose, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Raphanus Sativus Leaf Extract, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Cucurbitaceae Extract, Orchid Extract, Honey Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Phytosphingosine, Ceteareth-20, Glyceryl Citrate/Lactate/Linoleate/Oleate, Parfum

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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.

Centella Asiatica Extract (Centella) is one of the most researched botanical extracts in skincare with decades of studies backing its effects on inflammation, collagen, and the skin barrier.

That research keeps pointing back to the same four triterpenoid saponins: Asiaticoside, Madecassoside, Asiatic Acid, and Madecassic Acid.

These compounds allow centella to dial back inflammation, encourage the skin to build and hold onto collagen, support the barrier and hydration, and bring solid antioxidant activity to protect against signs of aging.

Centella also carries a nice supporting cast of Vitamin A, vitamin C, several B vitamins, and amino acids. Put it all together and you get an ingredient that soothes, hydrates, and protects, all at once.

Most of centella's magic comes from the four big compounds (Asiaticoside, Madecassoside, Asiatic Acid, and Madecassic Acid). These are the actives doing the heavy lifting in almost every centella study.

Here is the short version of what they do in the skin:

So it is not just soothing for the sake of soothing. Centella calms the skin AND helps it rebuild.

Just FYI, not all centella on an ingredient list is the same. What you are getting actually depends on the extract:

Fun fact on the ratios: the leaves tend to be richest in Madecassoside and Asiaticoside, and lower in the two acids. The exact amounts shift with where the plant is grown and how it is processed. This means purity really does vary brand to brand.

Centella is one of the most easygoing actives out there.

It layers well with basically everything: niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, peptides, and vitamin C, and also pairs nicely with stronger actives like retinoids and exfoliating acids where it can help take the edge off irritation.

On the safety side, centella and its triterpenes are classified as weak sensitizers, meaning allergic reactions are possible but uncommon.

Patch tests at 1% and 5% came back negative in test panels, and creams at typical use levels did not cause allergic reactions across large groups of people.

But as with any new active, a patch test is still a smart move for very reactive skin.

Centella is widely used because it is effective at low percentages. For context, human safety testing found no meaningful irritation from creams containing centella extract at everyday use levels (the tested amounts were well under 1%).

The irritancy threshold in animal testing was also above 30% (so real-world formulas sit far below anything concerning).

In collagen lab studies, higher concentrations drove more collagen synthesis, so serums built around centella tend to feature it more prominently.

Bottom line: you will find centella working nicely anywhere from a fraction of a percent up to hero-ingredient levels depending on whether it is a supporting soother or the main event.

Fun fact: Centella has been used as a medicine and in food for many centuries. As a medicine, it is used to treat burns, scratches, and wounds.

Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.

Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.

It plays several roles in a formula:

Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.

Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.

However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.

Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.

Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.

Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.

This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.

A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.

Cyclohexasiloxane is a type of silicone more commonly known as D6. It is an emollient and solvent.

Cyclohexasiloxane is used to evenly distribute ingredients throughout the product. When applied to the skin, Cyclohexasiloxane evaporates and leaves behind a silky feel.

As an emollient, it can help the skin feel soft and hydrated. It is also used to reduce frizz in hair products.

This ingredient is a silicone elastomer that works as a texture enhancer, adds a silky slip, and also helps absorb excess oil.

Because it's a large macromolecule that's insoluble in water and chemically inert, it's not expected to penetrate or be absorbed into skin.

Human patch tests with a facial lotion containing 1% of this ingredient found no sensitization.

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.

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil is a plant oil derived from the seeds of a sunflower.

It is rich in fatty acids, primarily linoleic acid and oleic acid. This gives it emollient and skin conditioning properties.

The reason this ingredient is so effective is because it forms a thin film on the skin that reduces transepidermal water loss (TEWL) while supplying linoleic acid to the stratum corneum to improve barrier strength.

The high linoleic acid content is particularly noteworthy for acne-prone skin.

Research suggests that acne-prone skin tends to be deficient in linoleic acid in sebum. Topical application may help replenish this to support a healthier follicular environment and less comedone-promoting sebum.

One randomized study found sunflower seed oil preserved skin barrier integrity in adult volunteers with and without atopic dermatitis (outperforming olive oil).

This ingredient is well-studied, gentle, and an effective emollient suitable for most skin types.

On fungal acne: This ingredient may not be Fungal acne (Malassezia folliculitis) safe. This is because it contains fatty acids with carbon chain lengths in the C11-C24 range.

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.

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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