Glad2Glow Pomegranate 5% Niacinamide Brightening Moisturizer Versus Beauty of Joseon Glow Replenishing Rice Milk

Glad2Glow Pomegranate 5% Niacinamide Brightening Moisturizer Versus Beauty of Joseon Glow Replenishing Rice Milk

This brightening moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Punica Granatum Fruit Extract to brighten dull-looking skin and fade the look of dark spots.

This hydrating toner is formulated around Oryza Sativa Extract and Panthenol to hydrate skin and strengthen the skin barrier.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Niacinamide

Butylene Glycol

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Punica Granatum Fruit Extract

Propylene Glycol

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Dimethicone

Betaine

Glycereth-26

Isopropyl Palmitate

1,2-Hexanediol

Hydroxyacetophenone

Cetearyl Alcohol

Polyacrylate-13

Allantoin

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Centella Asiatica Extract

Dimethyl Isosorbide

Polyisobutene

Parfum

Sodium Hyaluronate

Xanthan Gum

Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate

Pentylene Glycol

Polysorbate 20

Sorbitan Isostearate

Rosa Hybrid Flower Extract

Nonapeptide-1

Tetrapeptide-1

Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract

CI 16185

Water, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Propylene Glycol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Dimethicone, Betaine, Glycereth-26, Isopropyl Palmitate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polyacrylate-13, Allantoin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Centella Asiatica Extract, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Polyisobutene, Parfum, Sodium Hyaluronate, Xanthan Gum, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Pentylene Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Sorbitan Isostearate, Rosa Hybrid Flower Extract, Nonapeptide-1, Tetrapeptide-1, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, CI 16185

Methylpropanediol

Propanediol

Polymethyl Methacrylate

Oryza Sativa Extract

Coptis Japonica Root Extract

Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract

Amaranthus Caudatus Seed Extract

Ficus Carica Fruit Extract

Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Panthenol

Hydroxyethyl Urea

Aluminum Chlorohydrate

Microcrystalline Cellulose

Sodium Citrate

Kaolin

Ethylhexylglycerin

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Citric Acid

Dextrin

Ceramide NP

Tocopherol

Rice Amino Acids

Water, Methylpropanediol, Propanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycerin, Glycereth-26, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Oryza Sativa Extract, Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Amaranthus Caudatus Seed Extract, Ficus Carica Fruit Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Aluminum Chlorohydrate, Butylene Glycol, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Sodium Citrate, Kaolin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Citric Acid, Dextrin, Ceramide NP, Tocopherol, Rice Amino Acids

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.

Centella Asiatica Extract (Centella) is one of the most researched botanical extracts in skincare with decades of studies backing its effects on inflammation, collagen, and the skin barrier.

That research keeps pointing back to the same four triterpenoid saponins: Asiaticoside, Madecassoside, Asiatic Acid, and Madecassic Acid.

These compounds allow centella to dial back inflammation, encourage the skin to build and hold onto collagen, support the barrier and hydration, and bring solid antioxidant activity to protect against signs of aging.

Centella also carries a nice supporting cast of Vitamin A, vitamin C, several B vitamins, and amino acids. Put it all together and you get an ingredient that soothes, hydrates, and protects, all at once.

Most of centella's magic comes from the four big compounds (Asiaticoside, Madecassoside, Asiatic Acid, and Madecassic Acid). These are the actives doing the heavy lifting in almost every centella study.

Here is the short version of what they do in the skin:

So it is not just soothing for the sake of soothing. Centella calms the skin AND helps it rebuild.

Just FYI, not all centella on an ingredient list is the same. What you are getting actually depends on the extract:

Fun fact on the ratios: the leaves tend to be richest in Madecassoside and Asiaticoside, and lower in the two acids. The exact amounts shift with where the plant is grown and how it is processed. This means purity really does vary brand to brand.

Centella is one of the most easygoing actives out there.

It layers well with basically everything: niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, peptides, and vitamin C, and also pairs nicely with stronger actives like retinoids and exfoliating acids where it can help take the edge off irritation.

On the safety side, centella and its triterpenes are classified as weak sensitizers, meaning allergic reactions are possible but uncommon.

Patch tests at 1% and 5% came back negative in test panels, and creams at typical use levels did not cause allergic reactions across large groups of people.

But as with any new active, a patch test is still a smart move for very reactive skin.

Centella is widely used because it is effective at low percentages. For context, human safety testing found no meaningful irritation from creams containing centella extract at everyday use levels (the tested amounts were well under 1%).

The irritancy threshold in animal testing was also above 30% (so real-world formulas sit far below anything concerning).

In collagen lab studies, higher concentrations drove more collagen synthesis, so serums built around centella tend to feature it more prominently.

Bottom line: you will find centella working nicely anywhere from a fraction of a percent up to hero-ingredient levels depending on whether it is a supporting soother or the main event.

Fun fact: Centella has been used as a medicine and in food for many centuries. As a medicine, it is used to treat burns, scratches, and wounds.

Glycereth-26 is a synthetic ingredient and polyethylene glycol ether of Glycerin. Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin and helps keep your skin moisturized.

It is a humectant and helps add texture to products. It can make your product thicker.

As a humectant, it helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This helps your skin stay hydrated.

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.

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.

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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