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Skin science article

Proud Mary Lacto-fresh Toner Versus Laneige Cream Skin Toner & Moisturizer

Proud Mary Lacto-fresh Toner Versus Laneige Cream Skin Toner & Moisturizer This hydrating toner is formulated around Sodium Hyaluronate and Panthenol to hydrate skin and strengthen the skin barrier. This hydrating toner is formulated around Limnanthes Alba See

Proud Mary Lacto-fresh Toner Versus Laneige Cream Skin Toner & Moisturizer

This hydrating toner is formulated around Sodium Hyaluronate 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

Butylene Glycol

Glycerin

1,2-Hexanediol

Sodium Hyaluronate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Ethyl Hexanediol

Glyceryl Caprylate

Trehalose

Betaine

PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil

Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone

Arginine

Panthenol

Carbomer

Lactobacillus Ferment

Lactobacillus

Lactobacillus/Acerola Cherry Ferment

Chaenomeles Sinensis Fruit Extract

Diospyros Kaki Leaf Extract

Cinnamomum Cassia Bark Extract

Artemisia Princeps Leaf Extract

Chrysanthellum Indicum Extract

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Allantoin

Disodium EDTA

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil

Lavandula Angustifolia Oil

Lavandula Hybrida Oil

Myristica Fragrans Kernel Oil

Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil

Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Ethyl Hexanediol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Trehalose, Betaine, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone, Arginine, Panthenol, Carbomer, Lactobacillus Ferment, Lactobacillus, Lactobacillus/Acerola Cherry Ferment, Chaenomeles Sinensis Fruit Extract, Diospyros Kaki Leaf Extract, Cinnamomum Cassia Bark Extract, Artemisia Princeps Leaf Extract, Chrysanthellum Indicum Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Allantoin, Disodium EDTA, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Lavandula Hybrida Oil, Myristica Fragrans Kernel Oil, Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil

Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil

Ceramide AP

Squalane

Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate

Glyceryl Stearate Citrate

Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Inulin Lauryl Carbamate

Propanediol

Mannitol

Acrylates/Stearyl Methacrylate Copolymer

Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract

Hyaluronic Acid

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

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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.

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.

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (tea extract) is one of the most well-researched plant extracts in skincare with an impressive resume.

Black tea, green tea, and oolong tea are all harvested from the Camellia Sinensis plant.

Studies show green tea extract and its catechins (like epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)) help your skin cells product energy more efficiently and reducing the number of free-radicals that can damage your skin from the inside.

In lab-grown skin models, this translated to younger, healthier, and stronger skin.

There's also good sun protection data; researchers saw less DNA damage and redness on human skin when green tea was applied before UVB exposure. And the more they applied, the better the protection.

Needless to say, this ingredient shouldn't replace your sunscreen. But it is a great supportive ingredient that you can already find in many sunscreens and antioxidant serums.

A 2009 study found a 2% green tea lotion was effective for mild-to-moderate acne thanks to its anti-inflammatory and mild antimicrobial activity.

The quality of the extract matters a lot here:

Good extracts contain 50-90% catechins while lower quality ones are mostly there for marketing. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the quality or source of their ingredients.

Human Repeated Insult Patch Testing showed no irritation or sensitization at use concentrations (0.86% in leave-on products and up to 30% as leaf water).

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.

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.

Glyceryl Caprylate comes from glycerin and caprylic acid. It is an emollient, co-emulsifier, and preservative booster.

Its short C8 fatty acid chain makes it behave differently from its longer-chain emollient cousins like Glyceryl Stearate. It feels more lightweight, fast-absorbing, and silky instead of rich and waxy.

As a co-emulsifier, its "head" and "tail" sit at the oil-water interface. But overall, the short C8 tail and not being water soluble means it doesn't really have the muscle to emulsify a formula on its own. That's why you'll often see it paired with a primary emulsifier like Cetearyl Glucoside.

Interestingly, Glyceryl Caprylate acts as a preservative booster. This is because its fatty-acid backbone disrupts microbial lipid membranes. It shows excellent activity against bacteria and yeast but is weaker against mold.

Typical concentrations range from 0.5-1% and this ingredient is generally non-irritating.

Because this ingredient has a C8 fatty acid chain, it is outside the range that the Malassezia yeast metabolizes (making it fungal acne safe).

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!

Similar Comparisons

The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
& further reading.

Connected source records selected through this article’s public topic index.

01

Formula cabinet

Ingredients & structured notes

Ingredient index

Ingredients Explained

  1. 01These ingredients are found in both products.
  2. 02Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
  3. 031,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
  4. 04It is a:
  5. 05Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
  6. 06Emollient, helping to soften skin
  7. 07Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
  8. 08Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
  9. 09Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
  10. 10Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
  11. 11Though 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.
  12. 12Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
  13. 13Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
  14. 14Your 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.
  15. 15Aquaporin-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.
  16. 16This 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.
  17. 17Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
  18. 18Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Source · skinsort.com
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Product index

Related product references

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Comparison edit

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