Skin science article
Skintific 5X Ceramide Soothing Toner Versus Beauty of Joseon Glow Replenishing Rice Milk
Skintific 5X Ceramide Soothing Toner Versus Beauty of Joseon Glow Replenishing Rice Milk This barrier-repair toner is formulated around Bifida Ferment Lysate and Niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier and calm redness. This hydrating toner is formulated ar
Skintific 5X Ceramide Soothing Toner Versus Beauty of Joseon Glow Replenishing Rice Milk
This barrier-repair toner is formulated around Bifida Ferment Lysate and Niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier and calm redness.
This hydrating toner is formulated around Oryza Sativa Extract and Panthenol to hydrate skin and strengthen the skin barrier.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Methylpropanediol
Bifida Ferment Lysate
Glycerin
Niacinamide
Dimethicone
Pentylene Glycol
Dipropylene Glycol
Glycereth-26
Centella Asiatica Extract
Propylene Glycol
Maris Aqua
Ceramide NP
Panthenol
Ceramide Ns
Ceramide Ng
Ceramide As
Ceramide EOP
Ceramide AP
Sodium Hyaluronate
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane
4-T-Butylcyclohexanol
Ubiquinone
PEG-10 Dimethicone
Isononyl Isononanoate
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Bisabolol
Ectoin
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Tocopherol
Lactobacillus/Soymilk Ferment Filtrate
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Hamamelis Virginiana Extract
Zingiber Officinale Root Extract
1,2-Hexanediol
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Hydroxyacetophenone
Dimethiconol
Sodium Polyacrylate
Glucose
Water, Methylpropanediol, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Dimethicone, Pentylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycereth-26, Centella Asiatica Extract, Propylene Glycol, Maris Aqua, Ceramide NP, Panthenol, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide Ng, Ceramide As, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide AP, Sodium Hyaluronate, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, 4-T-Butylcyclohexanol, Ubiquinone, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Isononyl Isononanoate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Bisabolol, Ectoin, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Tocopherol, Lactobacillus/Soymilk Ferment Filtrate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Dimethiconol, Sodium Polyacrylate, Glucose
Propanediol
Polymethyl Methacrylate
Oryza Sativa Extract
Coptis Japonica Root Extract
Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract
Amaranthus Caudatus Seed Extract
Ficus Carica Fruit Extract
Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract
Aluminum Chlorohydrate
Butylene Glycol
Microcrystalline Cellulose
Sodium Citrate
Kaolin
Ethylhexylglycerin
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Citric Acid
Dextrin
Rice Amino Acids
Water, Methylpropanediol, Propanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycerin, Glycereth-26, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Oryza Sativa Extract, Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Amaranthus Caudatus Seed Extract, Ficus Carica Fruit Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Aluminum Chlorohydrate, Butylene Glycol, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Sodium Citrate, Kaolin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Citric Acid, Dextrin, Ceramide NP, Tocopherol, Rice Amino Acids
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
Centella Asiatica Extract (Centella) is one of the most researched botanical extracts in skincare with decades of studies backing its effects on inflammation, collagen, and the skin barrier.
That research keeps pointing back to the same four triterpenoid saponins: Asiaticoside, Madecassoside, Asiatic Acid, and Madecassic Acid.
These compounds allow centella to dial back inflammation, encourage the skin to build and hold onto collagen, support the barrier and hydration, and bring solid antioxidant activity to protect against signs of aging.
Centella also carries a nice supporting cast of Vitamin A, vitamin C, several B vitamins, and amino acids. Put it all together and you get an ingredient that soothes, hydrates, and protects, all at once.
Most of centella's magic comes from the four big compounds (Asiaticoside, Madecassoside, Asiatic Acid, and Madecassic Acid). These are the actives doing the heavy lifting in almost every centella study.
Here is the short version of what they do in the skin:
So it is not just soothing for the sake of soothing. Centella calms the skin AND helps it rebuild.
Just FYI, not all centella on an ingredient list is the same. What you are getting actually depends on the extract:
Fun fact on the ratios: the leaves tend to be richest in Madecassoside and Asiaticoside, and lower in the two acids. The exact amounts shift with where the plant is grown and how it is processed. This means purity really does vary brand to brand.
Centella is one of the most easygoing actives out there.
It layers well with basically everything: niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, peptides, and vitamin C, and also pairs nicely with stronger actives like retinoids and exfoliating acids where it can help take the edge off irritation.
On the safety side, centella and its triterpenes are classified as weak sensitizers, meaning allergic reactions are possible but uncommon.
Patch tests at 1% and 5% came back negative in test panels, and creams at typical use levels did not cause allergic reactions across large groups of people.
But as with any new active, a patch test is still a smart move for very reactive skin.
Centella is widely used because it is effective at low percentages. For context, human safety testing found no meaningful irritation from creams containing centella extract at everyday use levels (the tested amounts were well under 1%).
The irritancy threshold in animal testing was also above 30% (so real-world formulas sit far below anything concerning).
In collagen lab studies, higher concentrations drove more collagen synthesis, so serums built around centella tend to feature it more prominently.
Bottom line: you will find centella working nicely anywhere from a fraction of a percent up to hero-ingredient levels depending on whether it is a supporting soother or the main event.
Fun fact: Centella has been used as a medicine and in food for many centuries. As a medicine, it is used to treat burns, scratches, and wounds.
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.
Glycereth-26 is a synthetic ingredient and polyethylene glycol ether of Glycerin. Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin and helps keep your skin moisturized.
It is a humectant and helps add texture to products. It can make your product thicker.
As a humectant, it helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This helps your skin stay hydrated.
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.
Hydrogenated Lecithin is a more stable version of lecithin.
It's made by taking lecithin (a phospholipid commonly found in soybeans and egg yolks) and hydrogenating it. This just means the unsaturated fatty acids are turned into saturated ones so they don't go bad as easily.
This ingredient is an emollient, emulsifier, and penetration enhancer. As an emollient, it helps soften and hydrate skin by trapping moisture within. As an emulsifier, it prevents oil and water ingredients from separating.
Hydrogenated Lecithin can form tiny spherical structures made of phospholipid bilayers called liposomes. These liposomes are able to capture compounds inside their structure and deliver them through the skin barrier.
Because phospholipids are a natural component of our cell membranes, this ingredient is inherently compatible with skin.
A 2021 study found lecithin-based surfactants were less harsh and more tolerable comared to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).
Hydroxyethyl Urea comes from urea. It is a great moisturizer and often compared to glycerin.
The manufacturer claims hydroxyethyl urea is not sticky or tacky, so no modifier ingredients are needed to adjust how it feels on skin.
Methylpropanediol is a synthetic solvent and humectant.
As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients, helping to evenly distribute ingredients throughout the product. This ingredient has also been shown to have antimicrobial properties which makes it a preservative booster.
Methylpropanediol is able to add a bit of moisture to the skin. It also helps other ingredients be better absorbed into the skin, such as salicylic acid.
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.
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.
Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
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!