Skin science article
The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 Serum Versus Beauty of Joseon Revive Repair Serum: Ginseng + Snail Mucin
The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 Serum Versus Beauty of Joseon Revive Repair Serum: Ginseng + Snail Mucin This hydrating serum is formulated around Sodium Hyaluronate and Panthenol to hydrate skin and strengthen the skin barrier. This calming serum is form
The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 Serum Versus Beauty of Joseon Revive Repair Serum: Ginseng + Snail Mucin
This hydrating serum is formulated around Sodium Hyaluronate and Panthenol to hydrate skin and strengthen the skin barrier.
This calming serum is formulated around Panax Ginseng Root Water and Snail Secretion Filtrate to calm redness and strengthen the skin barrier.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Sodium Hyaluronate
Propanediol
Pentylene Glycol
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Phospholipids
Sphingolipids
Panthenol
Ahnfeltiopsis Concinna Extract
Glycerin
Polysorbate 20
Citric Acid
Sodium Citrate
P-Anisic Acid
Tocopherol
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Caprylyl Glycol
Ethoxydiglycol
Ethylhexylglycerin
Hexylene Glycol
Phenoxyethanol
Chlorphenesin
Water, Sodium Hyaluronate, Propanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Phospholipids, Sphingolipids, Panthenol, Ahnfeltiopsis Concinna Extract, Glycerin, Polysorbate 20, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, P-Anisic Acid, Tocopherol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethoxydiglycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin
Panax Ginseng Root Water
Butylene Glycol
Snail Secretion Filtrate
Dipropylene Glycol
1,2-Hexanediol
Niacinamide
Trehalose
Carbomer
Tromethamine
Xanthan Gum
Centella Asiatica Extract
Ganoderma Lucidum Extract
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Malt Extract
Sodium Polyacrylate
Adenosine
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
Disodium EDTA
Phellinus Linteus Extract
Forsythia Suspensa Fruit Extract
Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Panax Ginseng Root Water, Water, Butylene Glycol, Snail Secretion Filtrate, Dipropylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Propanediol, Trehalose, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Xanthan Gum, Centella Asiatica Extract, Ganoderma Lucidum Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Malt Extract, Sodium Polyacrylate, Adenosine, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Disodium EDTA, Phellinus Linteus Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Forsythia Suspensa Fruit Extract, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
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.
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.
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid (HA) that is broken down into lower molecular weight fragments.
It's a humectant that pulls and holds water in the skin to help with hydration, plumpness, and reduce transepidermal water loss.
Because hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid is smaller in size, it can slip past your outermost layer of skin more easily than full-sized HA.
Most formulations will combine all sizes to get the best of both worlds.
Typical usage levels range from 0.01-1%. Any percentage higher than 2% might become goopy and tacky.
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.
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!