Skin science article
COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser Versus Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Essence Water
COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser Versus Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Essence Water This salicylic acid cream cleanser is formulated around Salicylic Acid to clear breakouts and unclog pores. This calming essence is formulated around Panax Ginseng Root Wa
COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser Versus Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Essence Water
This salicylic acid cream cleanser is formulated around Salicylic Acid to clear breakouts and unclog pores.
This calming essence is formulated around Panax Ginseng Root Water and Niacinamide to calm redness and hydrate skin.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Myristic Acid
Sodium Chloride
Ethyl Hexanediol
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Citrus Limon Fruit Oil
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Ethylhexylglycerin
Stearic Acid
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Polysorbate 80
Caprylyl Glycol
Glycerin
Potassium Hydroxide
Salicylic Acid
Lauric Acid
Butylene Glycol
Salix Alba Bark Water
1,2-Hexanediol
Disodium EDTA
Glycol Distearate
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Citric Acid
Water, Myristic Acid, Sodium Chloride, Ethyl Hexanediol, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Citrus Limon Fruit Oil, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Stearic Acid, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Polysorbate 80, Caprylyl Glycol, Glycerin, Potassium Hydroxide, Salicylic Acid, Lauric Acid, Butylene Glycol, Salix Alba Bark Water, 1,2-Hexanediol, Disodium EDTA, Glycol Distearate, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Citric Acid
Panax Ginseng Root Water
Propanediol
Niacinamide
Hydroxyacetophenone
Glyceryl Glucoside
Xanthan Gum
Panthenol
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Allantoin
Adenosine
Panax Ginseng Callus Culture Extract
Theobroma Cacao Extract
Dextrin
Glucose
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Panax Ginseng Berry Extract
Lactobacillus/Panax Ginseng Root Extract Ferment Filtrate
Sodium Hyaluronate
Panax Ginseng Root Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Propanediol, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Water, Hydroxyacetophenone, Glyceryl Glucoside, Xanthan Gum, Panthenol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Allantoin, Adenosine, Panax Ginseng Callus Culture Extract, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Dextrin, Glucose, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Panax Ginseng Berry Extract, Lactobacillus/Panax Ginseng Root Extract Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin, 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.
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.
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.
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!