Skin science article
Paula's Choice Calm Redness Relief Toner for Normal to Oily Skin Versus Etude House Soon Jung pH 5.5 Relief Toner
Paula's Choice Calm Redness Relief Toner for Normal to Oily Skin Versus Etude House Soon Jung pH 5.5 Relief Toner This calming toner is formulated around Colloidal Oatmeal and Beta-Glucan to calm redness and strengthen the skin barrier. This calming toner is f
Paula's Choice Calm Redness Relief Toner for Normal to Oily Skin Versus Etude House Soon Jung pH 5.5 Relief Toner
This calming toner is formulated around Colloidal Oatmeal and Beta-Glucan to calm redness and strengthen the skin barrier.
This calming toner is formulated around Panthenol and Madecassoside to calm redness and strengthen the skin barrier.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Butylene Glycol
Polysorbate 20
Glycerin
Colloidal Oatmeal
Beta-Glucan
Sea Whip Extract
Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract
Panthenol
Epigallocatechin Gallate
Gellan Gum
Phytic Acid
Disodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Potassium Sorbate
Water, Butylene Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Glycerin, Colloidal Oatmeal, Beta-Glucan, Sea Whip Extract, Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract, Panthenol, Epigallocatechin Gallate, Gellan Gum, Phytic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Sorbate
Propanediol
Betaine
1,2-Hexanediol
Polyglycerin-3
Carbomer
Madecassoside
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Tocopherol
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Water, Propanediol, Glycerin, Betaine, Panthenol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyglycerin-3, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Carbomer, Madecassoside, Butylene Glycol, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Tocopherol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Reviews
Be the first to review
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.
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.
Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
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!