Skin science article
Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Ultra Moisture Cream Versus Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream
Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Ultra Moisture Cream Versus Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Ceramide NP and Beta-Glucan to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin. This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated aroun
Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Ultra Moisture Cream Versus Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream
This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Ceramide NP and Beta-Glucan to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Panax Ginseng Root Water and Niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Propanediol
Glycerin
Cyclohexasiloxane
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Hydrogenated Polydecene
Pentylene Glycol
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
1,2-Hexanediol
Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate
Ceramide NP
Cetearyl Alcohol
Pentaerythrityl Distearate
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
Macrocystis Pyrifera Extract
Tropaeolum Majus Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Malt Extract
Beta-Glucan
Ethylhexylglycerin
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Cynara Scolymus Leaf Extract
Adenosine
Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Fructooligosaccharides
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Azadirachta Indica Leaf Extract
Bisabolol
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Theobroma Cacao Extract
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Coral Extract
Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
Sucrose Distearate
Pyracantha Fortuneana Fruit Extract
Cholesterol
Sodium Hyaluronate
Ectoin
Ceramide AP
Ceramide As
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Ceramide Ns
Ceramide Ng
Glycosphingolipids
Glycolipids
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Ceramide EOP
Ceramide Eos
Caprooyl Phytosphingosine
Caproyl Sphingosine
Parfum
Tocopherol
Methylpropanediol
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Dipropylene Glycol
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Tromethamine
Xanthan Gum
Dextrin
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Polyquaternium-51
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
Glyceryl Stearate
Ceteareth-25
Cetyl Alcohol
Behenic Acid
Disodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Phytosphingosine
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Water, Propanediol, Glycerin, Cyclohexasiloxane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Pentylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Ceramide NP, Cetearyl Alcohol, Pentaerythrityl Distearate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Macrocystis Pyrifera Extract, Tropaeolum Majus Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Malt Extract, Beta-Glucan, Ethylhexylglycerin, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Cynara Scolymus Leaf Extract, Adenosine, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Fructooligosaccharides, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Azadirachta Indica Leaf Extract, Bisabolol, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Coral Extract, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Sucrose Distearate, Pyracantha Fortuneana Fruit Extract, Cholesterol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ectoin, Ceramide AP, Ceramide As, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide Ng, Glycosphingolipids, Glycolipids, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide Eos, Caprooyl Phytosphingosine, Caproyl Sphingosine, Parfum, Tocopherol, Methylpropanediol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Dipropylene Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Xanthan Gum, Dextrin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polyquaternium-51, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glyceryl Stearate, Ceteareth-25, Cetyl Alcohol, Behenic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Phytosphingosine, Ascorbyl Palmitate
Oryza Sativa Bran Water
Panax Ginseng Root Water
Niacinamide
Squalane
Butylene Glycol
Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Hydrogenated Coconut Oil
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
Hyaluronic Acid
Honey Extract
Coptis Japonica Root Extract
Raphanus Sativus Seed Extract
Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract
Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract
Phellinus Linteus Extract
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Water, Oryza Sativa Bran Water, Glycerin, Panax Ginseng Root Water, Hydrogenated Polydecene, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Squalane, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Coconut Oil, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Disodium EDTA, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Honey Extract, Ceramide NP, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Raphanus Sativus Seed Extract, Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract, Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract, Phellinus Linteus Extract, Dextrin, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
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
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is a synthetic polymer. It is used to thicken, emulsify, and improve the texture of products.
As an emulsifier, it helps stabilize oil-in-water emulsions to give products an elegant feel when applied.
It can also form a thin protective film on skin. One study found that a formula using this polymer helped slow down how quickly other ingredients (like DEET) were absorbed through skin.
A 2024 study of over 1,300 patients confirmed that sensitization to this ingredient is rare. It is also non-mutagenic and has a clean track record.
Adenosine is a purine nucleoside that your body already makes in every cell. In skincare, it acts mainly as a skin conditioning and anti-aging agent.
The way it works is fairly well mapped out:
Your skin has cells called fibroblasts that build collagen (the stuff that keeps skin firm and smooth). Adenosine basically flips a switch on these cells that tells them to get to work making more collagen and other proteins. These cells slow down on their own as skin ages, so Adenosine helps give them a little nudge to keep going.
The clinical backing is pretty solid too.
A blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 126 women aged 45-65 tested a 0.1% cream twice daily and found real improvements in crow's feet and frown lines using a precise 3D skin-mapping technique; these changes showed up by week 3 and held at 2 months.
A later study using Adenosine-loaded dissolving microneedle patches reported gains in wrinkle depth, dermal density, elasticity, and hydration.
On concentrations, South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has set 0.04% as the approved functional anti-wrinkle level. You'll typically see this ingredient used somewhere in the 0.04-0.1% range since it works at low doses.
This ingredient has been found safe for cosmetics with the data showing no irritation or sensitization.
Overall, this is a great ingredient for any anti-aging routine and has no photosensitizing effect, so it suits both AM and PM use.
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer is a synthetically created polymer. It's used as a film-forming agent and used to thicken the consistency of products.
Think of it as a supportive ingredient that helps your gel-creams feel silky, "cloud cream-like", and spread evenly without being greasy.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel evaluated it (along with 22 other acryloyldimethyltaurate polymers) and concluded it's:
Due to its large molecular size, it sits on the surface of skin rather than penetrating it.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Ceramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
Dextrin is a starch-derived polysaccharide. It's made by partially breaking down corn, potato, or other plant starches.
Think of it as "half-processed" starch; it's less complex than the original but not fully broken down into sugar like maltodextrin.
In cosmetics, it mainly functions as a bulking agent, viscosity controller, binder, and absorbent. It helps thicken products, stabilize powders, and get certain textures a less "wet" feel.
This ingredient has a pretty solid safety profile; it's recognized as a safe food additive and its large molecular size means it doesn't meaningfully penetrate skin.
Human repeat insult patch tests using a rinse-off facial product containing 42.69% dextrin found no skin irritation or sensitization in 54 subjects.
Typical real-world usage is much lower: usually under 1% as a texture modifier and up to 40% in masks (rinse off products use less).
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.
Hydrogenated Lecithin is a more stable version of lecithin.
It's made by taking lecithin (a phospholipid commonly found in soybeans and egg yolks) and hydrogenating it. This just means the unsaturated fatty acids are turned into saturated ones so they don't go bad as easily.
This ingredient is an emollient, emulsifier, and penetration enhancer. As an emollient, it helps soften and hydrate skin by trapping moisture within. As an emulsifier, it prevents oil and water ingredients from separating.
Hydrogenated Lecithin can form tiny spherical structures made of phospholipid bilayers called liposomes. These liposomes are able to capture compounds inside their structure and deliver them through the skin barrier.
Because phospholipids are a natural component of our cell membranes, this ingredient is inherently compatible with skin.
A 2021 study found lecithin-based surfactants were less harsh and more tolerable comared to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).
Hydrogenated Polydecene is a synthetic emollient. It forms a non-occlusive film on the skin's surface to provide a silky feel without being greasy.
In vivo studies in volunteers with atopic and dry skin showed no irritation or intolerance. The volunteers also saw a positive effect in dryness, scaling, and roughness after 28 days of use.
Concentrations up to 100% in guinea pig tests found it to be non-sensitizing and completely safe for use in cosmetics.
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid (HA) that is broken down into lower molecular weight fragments.
It's a humectant that pulls and holds water in the skin to help with hydration, plumpness, and reduce transepidermal water loss.
Because hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid is smaller in size, it can slip past your outermost layer of skin more easily than full-sized HA.
Most formulations will combine all sizes to get the best of both worlds.
Typical usage levels range from 0.01-1%. Any percentage higher than 2% might become goopy and tacky.
Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
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!
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.