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Gerovital H3 Retinol Wrinkle Prevention Cream Versus Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide

Gerovital H3 Retinol Wrinkle Prevention Cream Versus Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide This anti-aging night moisturizer is formulated around Retinol and Retinyl Palmitate to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture. This acne seru

Gerovital H3 Retinol Wrinkle Prevention Cream Versus Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum: Propolis + Niacinamide

This anti-aging night moisturizer is formulated around Retinol and Retinyl Palmitate to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

This acne serum is formulated around Propolis Extract and Niacinamide to clear breakouts and brighten dull-looking skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycine Soja Oil

Glycerin

Squalane

Cetearyl Alcohol

Ceteareth-22

Dimethicone

Ethylhexyl Cocoate

Dimethiconol

Tocopherol

Retinol

Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol

Glyceryl Stearate

Dipropylene Glycol

Boswellia Serrata Resin Extract

Phenoxyethanol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Sodium Polyacrylate

Hydrogenated Polydecene

Trideceth-6

Dipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline

Tocopheryl Acetate

Retinyl Palmitate

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Parfum

Tetrasodium EDTA

Sodium Hydroxide

BHA

BHT

Water, Glycine Soja Oil, Glycerin, Squalane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-22, Dimethicone, Ethylhexyl Cocoate, Dimethiconol, Tocopherol, Retinol, Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol, Glyceryl Stearate, Dipropylene Glycol, Boswellia Serrata Resin Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Polyacrylate, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Trideceth-6, Dipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Parfum, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, BHA, BHT

Propolis Extract

Butylene Glycol

Niacinamide

1,2-Hexanediol

Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract

Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate

Curcuma Longa Root Extract

Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract

Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract

Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract

Centella Asiatica Extract

Corallina Officinalis Extract

Lotus Corniculatus Seed Extract

Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil

Betaine Salicylate

Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate

Tromethamine

Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate

Caprylyl Glycol

Dextrin

Pentylene Glycol

Octanediol

Xanthan Gum

Carbomer

Propolis Extract, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Water, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Lotus Corniculatus Seed Extract, Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil, Betaine Salicylate, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Tromethamine, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dextrin, Pentylene Glycol, Octanediol, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer

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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.

Dipropylene Glycol is a synthetically created humectant, stabilizer, and solvent.

This ingredient helps:

Dipropylene glycol is technically an alcohol, but it belongs to the glycol family (often considered part of the ‘good’ alcohols). This means it is hydrating and gentle on skin unlike drying solvent alcohols like denatured alcohol.

As a masking agent, Dipropylene Glycol can be used to cover the smell of other ingredients. However, it does not have a scent.

Studies show Dipropylene Glycol is considered safe to use in skincare.

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.

Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.

You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.

Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.

It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.

This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.

This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.

In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.

Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.

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!

Similar Comparisons

The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
& further reading.

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

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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. 09Adenosine 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.
  10. 10The way it works is fairly well mapped out:
  11. 11Your 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 o…
  12. 12The clinical backing is pretty solid too.
  13. 13A 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…
  14. 14A later study using Adenosine-loaded dissolving microneedle patches reported gains in wrinkle depth, dermal density, elasticity, and hydration.
  15. 15On 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.
  16. 16This ingredient has been found safe for cosmetics with the data showing no irritation or sensitization.
  17. 17Overall, this is a great ingredient for any anti-aging routine and has no photosensitizing effect, so it suits both AM and PM use.
  18. 18Arginine 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.
  19. 19It 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.
  20. 20Here'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.
Source · skinsort.com
02

Product index

Related product references

Product

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Source: incidecoder.comView reference →
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Comparison edit

Read side by side