Skin science article
daymellow Houttuynia Cordata Real Soothing Gel Versus Beauty of Joseon Red Bean Water Gel
daymellow Houttuynia Cordata Real Soothing Gel Versus Beauty of Joseon Red Bean Water Gel This calming moisturizer is formulated around Houttuynia Cordata Extract and Sodium Hyaluronate to calm redness and hydrate skin. This calming moisturizer is formulated a
daymellow Houttuynia Cordata Real Soothing Gel Versus Beauty of Joseon Red Bean Water Gel
This calming moisturizer is formulated around Houttuynia Cordata Extract and Sodium Hyaluronate to calm redness and hydrate skin.
This calming moisturizer is formulated around Panthenol and Allantoin to calm redness and hydrate skin.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Houttuynia Cordata Extract
Water
Glycerin
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
1,2-Hexanediol
Sodium Hyaluronate
Methylpropanediol
Carbomer
Arginine
Polysorbate 20
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Disodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Water, Glycerin, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Methylpropanediol, Carbomer, Arginine, Polysorbate 20, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin
Butylene Glycol
Methyl Trimethicone
Phaseolus Angularis Seed Extract
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Tromethamine
Glyceryl Glucoside
C12-14 Alketh-12
Maltodextrin
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Betaine
Panthenol
Allantoin
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Polyquaternium-51
Xanthan Gum
Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract
Glucose
Sodium Citrate
Beta-Glucan
Hydrolyzed Corn Starch
Citric Acid
Sucrose
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Caprylyl Glycol
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Tocopherol
Cyanocobalamin
Glycine
Serine
Glutamic Acid
Aspartic Acid
Leucine
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Alanine
Lysine
Tyrosine
Phenylalanine
Proline
Threonine
Valine
Isoleucine
Histidine
Cysteine
Methionine
Phosphoric Acid
Ascorbic Acid
Sh-Oligopeptide-1
Sh-Oligopeptide-2
Sh-Polypeptide-1
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Methyl Trimethicone, Phaseolus Angularis Seed Extract, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Glyceryl Glucoside, C12-14 Alketh-12, Maltodextrin, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Betaine, Panthenol, Allantoin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Polyquaternium-51, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract, Glucose, Sodium Citrate, Beta-Glucan, Hydrolyzed Corn Starch, Citric Acid, Sucrose, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Caprylyl Glycol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Cyanocobalamin, Glycine, Serine, Glutamic Acid, Aspartic Acid, Leucine, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Alanine, Lysine, Arginine, Tyrosine, Phenylalanine, Proline, Threonine, Valine, Isoleucine, Histidine, Cysteine, Methionine, Phosphoric Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Sh-Oligopeptide-1, Sh-Oligopeptide-2, Sh-Polypeptide-1
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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
Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid. This just means our bodies can product a bit on its own, but sometimes needs a little boost from food sources.
It is a part of your skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.
Here's an interesting thing about Arginine: your skin converts it into urea through the Krebs-Henseleit urea cycle. Urea is one of the most effective humectants your skin naturally produces.
A clinical study showed applying 2.5% arginine hydrochloride to atopic dermatitis skin showed significant urea levels in the stratum corneum and improved moisture in just four weeks.
Arginine is also a precursor to nitric oxide; nitric oxide improves microcirculation and supports wound healing and collagen synthesis.
One study found that an amino acid complex containing Arginine reduced skin irritation, improved hydration, and accelerated skin repair in clinical / in-vivo studies.
Arginine itself is an amino acid and not a fatty acid, oil, or ester. On its own, it's not a direct food source for Malassezia, or the yeast that causes fungal acne.
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.
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer is made up of glycerin and polyacrylic acid. It helps hydrate your skin as a humectant.
This ingredient forms a hydrogel that delivers moisturizing, water-based ingredients to the skin. It is also used to thicken a product and to give it a smooth texture.
Acrylic acid itself is toxic, but the polymer form (this ingredient) is too large to penetrate skin, making it non-toxic.
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!