Skin science article
Origins United State Balancing Tonic Versus Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Essence Water
Origins United State Balancing Tonic Versus Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Essence Water This calming toner is formulated around Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract and Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil to calm redness. This calming essence is formulated around Panax Ginseng
Origins United State Balancing Tonic Versus Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Essence Water
This calming toner is formulated around Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract and Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil to calm redness.
This calming essence is formulated around Panax Ginseng Root Water and Niacinamide to calm redness and hydrate skin.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Alcohol Denat.
Butylene Glycol
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil
Mentha Viridis Leaf Oil
Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
Lavandula Hybrida Oil
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Styrax Benzoin Gum
Geraniol
Linalool
Citronellol
Eugenol
Limonene
Hamamelis Virginiana Extract
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Cladosiphon Okamuranus Extract
Laminaria Saccharina Extract
Eugenia Caryophyllus Flower Extract
Hydrolyzed Soy Protein
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Hydrolyzed Corn Protein
Coconut Acid
Jojoba Wax PEG-120 Esters
Caffeine
Glycerin
Polyquaternium-7
Sodium Hyaluronate
Dextrin
Faex Extract
Disodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Essential Oils
Water, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Alcohol Denat., Butylene Glycol, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Mentha Viridis Leaf Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Lavandula Hybrida Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Styrax Benzoin Gum, Geraniol, Linalool, Citronellol, Eugenol, Limonene, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Cladosiphon Okamuranus Extract, Laminaria Saccharina Extract, Eugenia Caryophyllus Flower Extract, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Coconut Acid, Jojoba Wax PEG-120 Esters, Caffeine, Glycerin, Polyquaternium-7, Sodium Hyaluronate, Dextrin, Faex Extract, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Essential Oils
Panax Ginseng Root Water
Propanediol
Niacinamide
1,2-Hexanediol
Hydroxyacetophenone
Glyceryl Glucoside
Xanthan Gum
Panthenol
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Allantoin
Adenosine
Panax Ginseng Callus Culture Extract
Theobroma Cacao Extract
Glucose
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Panax Ginseng Berry Extract
Lactobacillus/Panax Ginseng Root Extract Ferment Filtrate
Ethylhexylglycerin
Panax Ginseng Root Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Propanediol, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Water, Hydroxyacetophenone, Glyceryl Glucoside, Xanthan Gum, Panthenol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Allantoin, Adenosine, Panax Ginseng Callus Culture Extract, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Dextrin, Glucose, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Panax Ginseng Berry Extract, Lactobacillus/Panax Ginseng Root Extract Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA
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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.
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.
Dextrin is a starch-derived polysaccharide. It's made by partially breaking down corn, potato, or other plant starches.
Think of it as "half-processed" starch; it's less complex than the original but not fully broken down into sugar like maltodextrin.
In cosmetics, it mainly functions as a bulking agent, viscosity controller, binder, and absorbent. It helps thicken products, stabilize powders, and get certain textures a less "wet" feel.
This ingredient has a pretty solid safety profile; it's recognized as a safe food additive and its large molecular size means it doesn't meaningfully penetrate skin.
Human repeat insult patch tests using a rinse-off facial product containing 42.69% dextrin found no skin irritation or sensitization in 54 subjects.
Typical real-world usage is much lower: usually under 1% as a texture modifier and up to 40% in masks (rinse off products use less).
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.
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!