Dr. Althea Vitamin C Boosting Serum Versus Beauty of Joseon Calming Serum: Green Tea + Panthenol

Dr. Althea Vitamin C Boosting Serum Versus Beauty of Joseon Calming Serum: Green Tea + Panthenol

This brightening serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Tranexamic Acid to brighten dull-looking skin and fade the look of dark spots.

This calming serum is formulated around Panthenol and Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate to calm redness and strengthen the skin barrier.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Ingredients Side-by-side

Hippophae Rhamnoides Water

Centella Asiatica Leaf Water

Niacinamide

Butylene Glycol

1,2-Hexanediol

Dipropylene Glycol

Water

Methyl Gluceth-20

Methylpropanediol

Betaine

Tranexamic Acid

Glycerin

Pentylene Glycol

Propanediol

Hydroxyethyl Urea

Laminaria Japonica Extract

Eclipta Prostrata Leaf Extract

Ficus Carica Fruit Extract

Centella Asiatica Extract

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Sodium Hyaluronate

Carbomer

3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

C12-14 Pareth-12

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Xanthan Gum

Tromethamine

Panthenol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Adenosine

Disodium EDTA

Fructooligosaccharides

Beta-Glucan

Ascorbic Acid

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Ceramide NP

Alpha-Arbutin

Tocopherol

Bifida Ferment Lysate

Bisabolol

Ubiquinone

Hydroxydecyl Ubiquinone

Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate

Hippophae Rhamnoides Water, Centella Asiatica Leaf Water, Niacinamide, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Dipropylene Glycol, Water, Methyl Gluceth-20, Methylpropanediol, Betaine, Tranexamic Acid, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Eclipta Prostrata Leaf Extract, Ficus Carica Fruit Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Carbomer, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, C12-14 Pareth-12, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Tromethamine, Panthenol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA, Fructooligosaccharides, Beta-Glucan, Ascorbic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Ceramide NP, Alpha-Arbutin, Tocopherol, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Bisabolol, Ubiquinone, Hydroxydecyl Ubiquinone, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Allantoin

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Artemisia Capillaris Extract

Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer

Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract

Polyquaternium-51

Malt Extract

Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract

Coptis Japonica Root Extract

Water, Panthenol, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Methylpropanediol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Betaine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Allantoin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Artemisia Capillaris Extract, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Polyquaternium-51, Malt Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate

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.

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.

Methylpropanediol is a synthetic solvent and humectant.

As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients, helping to evenly distribute ingredients throughout the product. This ingredient has also been shown to have antimicrobial properties which makes it a preservative booster.

Methylpropanediol is able to add a bit of moisture to the skin. It also helps other ingredients be better absorbed into the skin, such as salicylic acid.

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.

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.

Tromethamine (aka THAM) is a synthetic amino acid that shows up in skincare as a helper ingredient.

It functions as a pH adjuster to help neutralize acidic ingredients and set a formula's pH to the right spot.

This matters a lot because a lot of actives (like vitamin C) needs a specific pH to work well and feel comfortable on skin.

Concentration use ranges from 0.1-1.0% depending on the formula.

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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