Peptide Skincare & BeautySkin science and ingredient guides

Skin science article

Etude House Soon Jung 2x Barrier Intensive Cream Versus Item Beauty Lite Sauce Clean Balancing Gel Moisturizer with Ceramides

Etude House Soon Jung 2x Barrier Intensive Cream Versus Item Beauty Lite Sauce Clean Balancing Gel Moisturizer with Ceramides This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Panthenol and Madecassoside to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin. This

Etude House Soon Jung 2x Barrier Intensive Cream Versus Item Beauty Lite Sauce Clean Balancing Gel Moisturizer with Ceramides

This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Panthenol and Madecassoside to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Centella Asiatica Extract and Ceramide NP to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Propanediol

Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Glycerin

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Cetearyl Alcohol

Panthenol

Madecassoside

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Ceramide AP

1,2-Hexanediol

Potassium Carbomer

Xanthan Gum

Butylene Glycol

Disodium EDTA

Water, Propanediol, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Panthenol, Madecassoside, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Ceramide AP, 1,2-Hexanediol, Potassium Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Butylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA

Dipropylene Glycol

Betaine

Dimethicone

Centella Asiatica Extract

Xylitol

Tocopherol

Tocopheryl Acetate

Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter

Ceramide NP

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate

Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer

Carbomer

Silica

Sodium Stearoxy Pg-Hydroxyethylcellulose Sulfonate

Tromethamine

Ethylhexylglycerin

Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Betaine, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Centella Asiatica Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Xylitol, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter, Ceramide NP, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Xanthan Gum, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Silica, Sodium Stearoxy Pg-Hydroxyethylcellulose Sulfonate, Disodium EDTA, Tromethamine, Ethylhexylglycerin

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.

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%.

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%.

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!

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.

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

02

Product index

Related product references

03

Comparison edit

Read side by side