COSRX Pure Fit Cica Serum Versus Beauty of Joseon Light On Serum : Centella + Vita C

COSRX Pure Fit Cica Serum Versus Beauty of Joseon Light On Serum : Centella + Vita C

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

This brightening serum is formulated around Centella Asiatica Extract and 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid to brighten dull-looking skin and calm redness.

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

1,2-Hexanediol

Betaine

Panthenol

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate

Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Allantoin

Ethylhexylglycerin

Xanthan Gum

Water

Pinus Pinaster Bark Extract

Asiaticoside

Asiatic Acid

Madecassic Acid

Madecassoside

Centella Asiatica Extract, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Root Extract, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Betaine, Panthenol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Allantoin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Water, Pinus Pinaster Bark Extract, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Madecassic Acid, Madecassoside

3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

Propanediol

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Methyl Trimethicone

Cetyl Ethylhexanoate

Laminaria Japonica Extract

Eclipta Prostrata Leaf Extract

Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract

Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract

Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract

Hydrolyzed Gardenia Florida Extract

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Cetearyl Alcohol

Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Silica

Bisabolol

Potassium Cetyl Phosphate

Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters

Cetearyl Olivate

Sorbitan Olivate

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer

Adenosine

Fructooligosaccharides

Beta-Glucan

Sorbitan Isostearate

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Maltodextrin

Arginine

Carbomer

Ascorbic Acid Polypeptide

Hydroxyacetophenone

Centella Asiatica Extract, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Glycerin, Propanediol, Betaine, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Methyl Trimethicone, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Panthenol, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Eclipta Prostrata Leaf Extract, Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Gardenia Florida Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Water, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Silica, Bisabolol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Xanthan Gum, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Adenosine, Fructooligosaccharides, Beta-Glucan, Butylene Glycol, Sorbitan Isostearate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Maltodextrin, Arginine, Carbomer, Ascorbic Acid Polypeptide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Ethylhexylglycerin

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

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.

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.

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.

This is a synthetic polymer. It helps improve the texture of products by adding thickness and gel-like feel.

It is also an emulsifer, meaning it prevents ingredients such as oil and water from separating. It also helps evenly disperse other ingredients.

Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.

There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.

D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.

Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):

Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.

This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.

Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.

This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.

Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate is a nonionic emulsifier and skin conditioner made from Polyglycerin-10 and Myristic Acid.

As a skin conditioning agent, this ingredient leaves skin feeling soft without a greasy finish. As an emulsifier, it helps stabilize oil-in-water emulsions.

You'll likely see this ingredient in "clean" formulations because it's considered a natural alternative to PEGs.

Patch testing at concentration 0.1-1% showed no reactions and this ingredient is considered to be well-tolerated across skin types.

Due to its myristic acid base, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.

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!

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

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