Peptide Skincare & BeautySkin science and ingredient guides

Skin science article

Drunk Elephant Slaai™ Makeup-Melting Butter Cleanser Versus Beauty of Joseon Radiance Cleansing Balm

Drunk Elephant Slaai™ Makeup-Melting Butter Cleanser Versus Beauty of Joseon Radiance Cleansing Balm This oil-based makeup remover is made to dissolve makeup, sunscreen, and daily buildup. What's inside Key Ingredients Benefits Concerns Ingredients Side-by-sid

Drunk Elephant Slaai™ Makeup-Melting Butter Cleanser Versus Beauty of Joseon Radiance Cleansing Balm

This oil-based makeup remover is made to dissolve makeup, sunscreen, and daily buildup.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Ethylhexyl Palmitate

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil

Lauryl Laurate

Polyglyceryl-3 Laurate

Polyhydroxystearic Acid

Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax

Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate

Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil

Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Oil

Actinidia Chinensis Fruit Extract

Fragaria Ananassa Seed Extract

Vaccinium Macrocarpon Seed Oil

Borago Officinalis Seed Oil

Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil

Polyglyceryl-2 Caprate

Citrullus Lanatus Seed Oil

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil

Schinziophyton Rautanenii Kernel Oil

Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract

Ximenia Americana Seed Oil

Tocopherol

Glycerin

Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Lauryl Laurate, Polyglyceryl-3 Laurate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Oil, Actinidia Chinensis Fruit Extract, Fragaria Ananassa Seed Extract, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Seed Oil, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Polyglyceryl-2 Caprate, Citrullus Lanatus Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Schinziophyton Rautanenii Kernel Oil, Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract, Ximenia Americana Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Glycerin

Cetyl Ethylhexanoate

PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate

Synthetic Wax

PEG-10 Isostearate

Sorbitan Sesquioleate

Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil

Oryza Sativa Bran Oil

Water

Oryza Sativa Seed Water

Propanediol

1,2-Hexanediol

Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract

Butylene Glycol

Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Extract

Oryza Sativa Extract

Avena Sativa Meal Extract

Ethylhexylglycerin

Caprylyl Glycol

Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Synthetic Wax, PEG-10 Isostearate, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Water, Oryza Sativa Seed Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Butylene Glycol, Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Extract, Oryza Sativa Extract, Avena Sativa Meal Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol

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.

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%.

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.

Similar Comparisons

The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
& further reading.

Connected source records selected through this article’s public topic index.

01

Formula cabinet

Ingredients & structured notes

Ingredient index

Ingredients Explained

  1. 01These ingredients are found in both products.
  2. 02Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
  3. 031,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
  4. 04It is a:
  5. 05Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
  6. 06Emollient, helping to soften skin
  7. 07Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
  8. 08Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
  9. 09Alpha-Arbutin is a brightening active used to fade dark spots, melasma, and post-acne marks. Structurally, it is a hydroquinone with a sugar molecule attached (but is much gentler than raw hydroquinone).
  10. 10It has a pretty elegant way of working; it slots into tyrosinase, or the key enzyme that your skin uses to make melanin), and competitively blocks it so your skin produces less pigment over time.
  11. 11There are two forms of arbutin and alpha is the better one to reach for: it works at lower amounts, absorbs into skin more easily, and has a strong safety record.
  12. 12The science backs this up too: lab and animal studies confirm it lowers melanin by blocking tyosinase and the more you use (up to a point), the more it works.
  13. 13Human studies look good too.
  14. 14A 2024 trial found a cream with 5% alpha-arbutin and 2% kojic acid worked about as well as a prescription melasma cream but with fewer side effects. Another study showed 2% alpha-arbutin paired with 10% Trihydroxybenzoic Acid Glucoside and sunscreen…
  15. 15Concentration-wise, most serums land in the 1-2% range.
  16. 16The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety concluded that alpha-arbutin is safe in face creams up to 2% and body lotions up to 0.5%.
  17. 17Overall, this is a well-studied and low-irritation brightener that's a great pick for anyone dealing with uneven skin tone. It also pairs well with vitamin C, niacinamide, and sunscreen.
  18. 18Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
  19. 19Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
  20. 20Though 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.
Source · skinsort.com
02

Product index

Related product references

Product

Beauty of Joseon Cleansing Balm

Beauty of Joseon Cleansing Balm Beauty of Joseon Cleansing Balm ingredients explained: Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Beeswax, PEG-20 Glyceryl T…

Source: incidecoder.comView reference →
03

Comparison edit

Read side by side