Skin science article
Laneige Cream Skin Toner & Moisturizer Versus e.l.f. cosmetics Skin Pure Skin + Dermatologist Developed Toner
Laneige Cream Skin Toner & Moisturizer Versus e.l.f. cosmetics Skin Pure Skin + Dermatologist Developed Toner This hydrating toner is formulated around Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil and Ceramide AP to hydrate skin and strengthen the skin barrier. This barrier-repai
Laneige Cream Skin Toner & Moisturizer Versus e.l.f. cosmetics Skin Pure Skin + Dermatologist Developed Toner
This hydrating toner is formulated around Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil and Ceramide AP to hydrate skin and strengthen the skin barrier.
This barrier-repair toner is formulated around Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice and Niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier and calm redness.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Butylene Glycol
Glycerin
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Ceramide AP
1,2-Hexanediol
Squalane
Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
Inulin Lauryl Carbamate
Glyceryl Caprylate
Ethylhexylglycerin
Propanediol
Disodium EDTA
Carbomer
Mannitol
Acrylates/Stearyl Methacrylate Copolymer
Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract
Hyaluronic Acid
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Xanthan Gum
Ceramide NP
Camellia Japonica Flower Extract
Tocopherol
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-11
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Ceramide AP, 1,2-Hexanediol, Squalane, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Propanediol, Disodium EDTA, Carbomer, Mannitol, Acrylates/Stearyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Xanthan Gum, Ceramide NP, Camellia Japonica Flower Extract, Tocopherol, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-11
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Niacinamide
Trehalose
Ceramide EOP
Glycolic Acid
Sodium Hyaluronate
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Water
Tocopheryl Acetate
Hamamelis Virginiana Water
Avena Sativa Kernel Flour
Sodium PCA
Allantoin
Phytosphingosine
Cholesterol
Pentylene Glycol
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
Polyglyceryl-3 Cocoate
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Phenoxyethanol
Sodium Benzoate
Citric Acid
Benzoic Acid
Tromethamine
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Trehalose, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Glycolic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Water, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Sodium PCA, Allantoin, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Polyglyceryl-3 Cocoate, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Tromethamine
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.
Carbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.
Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.
It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.
Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.
A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.
Ceramide AP is is a skin-identical lipid that mimics what your skin already makes naturally. Ceramides help maintain epidermal integrity and barrier function.
You'll often see this ingredient paired with other ceramides (like ceramide NP), cholesterol, or fatty acids because this combination best mimics the natural lipid mix your skin already has.
The skin's ability to produce ceramides gets disrupted in skin conditions like eczema. This in turn weakens the skin barrier and applying ceramides topically has been shown to replenish what's been lost to restore barrier function.
Most of the studies with Ceramide AP test it as part of a multi-ceramide complex; studies reinforce ceramide AP's role in rebalancing ceramides in skin and improving skin hydration.
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.
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.
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.