Skin science article
Nacific Uyu Cream Toner Versus Laneige Cream Skin Toner & Moisturizer
Nacific Uyu Cream Toner Versus Laneige Cream Skin Toner & Moisturizer This hydrating toner is formulated around Niacinamide and Panthenol to hydrate skin and strengthen the skin barrier. This hydrating toner is formulated around Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil and Ce
Nacific Uyu Cream Toner Versus Laneige Cream Skin Toner & Moisturizer
This hydrating toner is formulated around Niacinamide and Panthenol to hydrate skin and strengthen the skin barrier.
This hydrating toner is formulated around Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil and Ceramide AP to hydrate skin and strengthen the skin barrier.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Glycerin
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Niacinamide
1,2-Hexanediol
Butylene Glycol
Panthenol
Polysorbate 60
Pentylene Glycol
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Arginine
Steareth-21
Allantoin
Betaine
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Cetearyl Alcohol
Steareth-20
Isohexadecane
Milk Extract
Ethylhexylglycerin
Adenosine
Palmitic Acid
Stearic Acid
PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Disodium EDTA
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Caprylyl Glycol
Propanediol
Tocopheryl Acetate
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
Sucrose Stearate
Sodium Nitrate
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Ceramide NP
Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans
Arachidic Acid
Sodium Hyaluronate
Artemisia Vulgaris Extract
Benzyl Glycol
Lauric Acid
Myristic Acid
Oleic Acid
Disodium Phosphate
Hydrolyzed Pea Protein
Phytosterols
Ceramide AP
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Ceramide As
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Lecithin
Squalane
Hyaluronic Acid
Ceramide Ng
Sodium Phosphate
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Glycosphingolipids
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Raspberry Ketone
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Butylene Glycol, Panthenol, Polysorbate 60, Pentylene Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Arginine, Steareth-21, Allantoin, Betaine, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Steareth-20, Isohexadecane, Milk Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Disodium EDTA, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Caprylyl Glycol, Propanediol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Sucrose Stearate, Sodium Nitrate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Ceramide NP, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Arachidic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Artemisia Vulgaris Extract, Benzyl Glycol, Lauric Acid, Myristic Acid, Oleic Acid, Disodium Phosphate, Hydrolyzed Pea Protein, Phytosterols, Ceramide AP, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Ceramide As, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Lecithin, Squalane, Hyaluronic Acid, Ceramide Ng, Sodium Phosphate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glycosphingolipids, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Raspberry Ketone
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
Inulin Lauryl Carbamate
Glyceryl Caprylate
Carbomer
Mannitol
Acrylates/Stearyl Methacrylate Copolymer
Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Xanthan Gum
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
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.
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.
Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a glycosaminoglycan (basically a long sugar chain) that your skin already makes on its own. In your skin, HA lives in the extracellular matrix and acts as the body's moisture reservoir.
Topically, HA is a humectant that binds water and helps skin look more plump, smooth, and hydrated.
The only catch is that HA isn't a single thing; it actually comes in a wide range of molecular weights (~50 - 2,000+ kDA) and size matters.
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
This is why the best HA serums blend the two sizes together so you get the best of both worlds.
The majority of cosmetic HA is produced by bacterial fermentation, typically using Streptococcus or Bacillus strains. Typical use levels in skincare sit around 0.1-2%.
A clinical study using a 0.2% low-molecular weight HA gel showed improvement in facial seborrheic dermatitis with excellent tolerance.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Squalane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).
It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.
This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.
Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.
Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.
No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).
Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.
This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.
Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.
Read more about squalene with an "e".
Though squalane is often called an oil, it’s technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.
The term “oil-free” isn’t regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.
Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.
A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.
The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.
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!