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Tosowoong SOS Intensive Red Clinic Ovalicin Skin Clear Cream Versus Lancôme Rénergie H.P.N. 300-Peptide Cream

Tosowoong SOS Intensive Red Clinic Ovalicin Skin Clear Cream Versus Lancôme Rénergie H.P.N. 300-Peptide Cream This acne moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Colloidal Sulfur to clear breakouts and calm redness. This anti-aging moisturizer is formul

Tosowoong SOS Intensive Red Clinic Ovalicin Skin Clear Cream Versus Lancôme Rénergie H.P.N. 300-Peptide Cream

This acne moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Colloidal Sulfur to clear breakouts and calm redness.

This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Adenosine to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Cetearyl Alcohol

Niacinamide

Beeswax

Ceresin

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene

PEG-100 Stearate

Glyceryl Stearate

Dimethicone

Cetyl Ethylhexanoate

Emu Oil

Colloidal Sulfur

Polysorbate 60

Beta-Glucan

Sorbitan Stearate

Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Triethanolamine

Carbomer

Tocopheryl Acetate

Butylene Glycol

Cetearyl Glucoside

Lavandula Angustifolia Oil

Betaine

Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract

Pulsatilla Koreana Extract

Usnea Barbata Extract

Disodium EDTA

BHT

Salicylic Acid

Salvia Sclarea Extract

Propanediol

Ovalicin

Hyacinthus Orientalis Extract

Adenosine

Zingiber Officinale Root Extract

Camellia Japonica Leaf Extract

Lavandula Angustifolia Water

Borago Officinalis Extract

Chamomilla Recutita Flower/Leaf Extract

Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract

Citrus Paradisi Seed Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate

Centaurea Cyanus Flower Extract

Magnolia Officinalis Bark Extract

Phenoxyethanol

Benzyl Alcohol

Salix Alba Bark Extract

Sophora Flavescens Root Extract

Citrus Paradisi Fruit Extract

Ethylhexylglycerin

Water, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Niacinamide, Beeswax, Ceresin, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Dimethicone, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Emu Oil, Colloidal Sulfur, Polysorbate 60, Beta-Glucan, Sorbitan Stearate, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Triethanolamine, Carbomer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Butylene Glycol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Betaine, Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract, Pulsatilla Koreana Extract, Usnea Barbata Extract, Disodium EDTA, BHT, Salicylic Acid, Salvia Sclarea Extract, Propanediol, Ovalicin, Hyacinthus Orientalis Extract, Adenosine, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Camellia Japonica Leaf Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Water, Borago Officinalis Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower/Leaf Extract, Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract, Citrus Paradisi Seed Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Centaurea Cyanus Flower Extract, Magnolia Officinalis Bark Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Sophora Flavescens Root Extract, Citrus Paradisi Fruit Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin

Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter

Alcohol Denat.

Cetearyl Isononanoate

Isopropyl Palmitate

Octyldodecanol

Cyclodextrin

Hydrolyzed Lupine Protein

Pisum Sativum Extract

Capryloyl Salicylic Acid

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Hydrolyzed Linseed Extract

Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

Cera Alba

Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil

Simmondsia Chinensis Butter

Citric Acid

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Potassium Cetyl Phosphate

Sorbitan Isostearate

Tocopherol

Dimethicone/Polyglycerin-3 Crosspolymer

Geraniol

Limonene

Chlorphenesin

Dipropylene Glycol

Sodium Benzoate

Parfum

Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter, Alcohol Denat., Cetearyl Isononanoate, Niacinamide, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Octyldodecanol, Cyclodextrin, Hydrolyzed Lupine Protein, Pisum Sativum Extract, Adenosine, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Linseed Extract, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cera Alba, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Butter, Cetearyl Glucoside, Citric Acid, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polysorbate 60, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Tocopherol, Dimethicone/Polyglycerin-3 Crosspolymer, Benzyl Alcohol, Geraniol, Limonene, Chlorphenesin, Dipropylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum

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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.

Adenosine is a purine nucleoside that your body already makes in every cell. In skincare, it acts mainly as a skin conditioning and anti-aging agent.

The way it works is fairly well mapped out:

Your skin has cells called fibroblasts that build collagen (the stuff that keeps skin firm and smooth). Adenosine basically flips a switch on these cells that tells them to get to work making more collagen and other proteins. These cells slow down on their own as skin ages, so Adenosine helps give them a little nudge to keep going.

The clinical backing is pretty solid too.

A blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 126 women aged 45-65 tested a 0.1% cream twice daily and found real improvements in crow's feet and frown lines using a precise 3D skin-mapping technique; these changes showed up by week 3 and held at 2 months.

A later study using Adenosine-loaded dissolving microneedle patches reported gains in wrinkle depth, dermal density, elasticity, and hydration.

On concentrations, South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has set 0.04% as the approved functional anti-wrinkle level. You'll typically see this ingredient used somewhere in the 0.04-0.1% range since it works at low doses.

This ingredient has been found safe for cosmetics with the data showing no irritation or sensitization.

Overall, this is a great ingredient for any anti-aging routine and has no photosensitizing effect, so it suits both AM and PM use.

Benzyl Alcohol is an aromatic alcohol with several roles: it's a preservative, solvent, and mild fragrance component with a floral scent.

This ingredient has been deemed safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and up to 10% in hair dyes. You'll typically see 0.5-2% in most rinse-off or leave-on products.

As a preservative, it works by disrupting the membrane of microbial proteins. This helps keep bacteria and fungi from growing in your products.

The sensitization picture is actually quite assuring as well:of nearly 71,000 patients patch tested with benzyl alcohol, only 0.21% showed a positive reaction with most of them being weakly positive.

This led researchers to conclude that benzyl alcohol cannot be regarded as a significant contact allergen.

It is worth noting this ingredient is classified as one of the EU's regulated fragrance allergens and restricted to 1% in finished products.

Labels must also declare it in concentrations above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products.

At concentrations around 5%, localized redness and itching can appear as a direct irritant response and not as a true allergic reaction.

Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.

Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.

It plays several roles in a formula:

Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.

Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.

However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.

Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.

Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.

Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.

This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.

A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.

Cetearyl Glucoside is a sugar-based emulsifier. It is usually made by combining cetearyl alcohol and glucose.

Belonging to the aklyl polyglucoside (APG) family, Cetearyl Glucoside has a sugar "head" that loves water and a fatty "tail" that loves oil. This means it can shuffle oil and water into a stable and smooth emulsion.

Typical use levels are between 1-5% and this ingredient is considered to be non-irritating by the CIR Expert Panel Review.

Once applied, your skin's glucoside hydrolases breaks it down to the parent fatty alcohol and glucose. This is why this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.

Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.

What it does:

Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:

Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.

Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.

This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.

Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.

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 Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.

Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.

This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.

A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.

Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.

Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.

Niacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.

And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.

You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.

In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.

If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.

When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.

When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.

In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).

Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.

Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.

The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.

Peg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. As an emollient, it helps keep skin soft by trapping moisture in. On the other hand, emulsifiers help prevent oil and water from separating in a product.

PEGS are a hydrophilic polyether compound . There are 100 ethylene oxide monomers in Peg-100 Stearate. Peg-100 Stearate is polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid.

Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).

It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.

On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.

Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).

You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.

Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.

Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.

Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.

Polysorbate 60 is used to help stabilize products. It is a surfactant and emulsifier. These properties help keep ingredients together in a product. Surfactants help reduce surface tension between ingredients with different states, such as liquids and solids. Emulsifiers help prevent oils and waters from separating.

Polysorbate 60 is sorbitol-based and created from the ethoxylation of sorbitan. Ethoxylation is a chemical reaction used to add ethylene oxide. Sorbitan is a the dehydrated version of sorbitol, a sugar found in fruits.

In this case, the 60 comes from reacting 60 units of ethylene oxide with sorbitan.

Polysorbates are commonly used in medicine and foods.

Tocopheryl Acetate is a stable, shelf-friendly form of vitamin E.

Formulators love it because plain vitamin E oxidizes quickly once it hits air. This acetate version stays stable and resists going off, helping to extend a product's shelf life.

It's actually inactive on its own and works like a slow-release "storage" form; the enzymes in your skin called esterases gradually convert it into active vitamin E over time.

One in vivo study showed 5% of the acetate in the living layer of the epidermis converted to vitamin E after 5 days of application. This study also found the skin gained protection against UV damage even though the conversion was slow and small.

Once converted, vitamin E acts as a skin's main fat-soluble antioxidant that fights free radicals to protect skin from damage.

Topical vitamin E generally boosts the skin's photoprotection, and it reduced UV-damage in animal models.

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.

Overall, it has a pretty solid safety profile and has been found to be non-irritating and non-comedogenic. Allergic reactions may happen but stay rare due to how widely the ingredient gets used.

The concentration will vary depending on the formula; industry data shows 0.1% in baby lotions, 3% in lipsticks, and 5% in foot powders. You can also find this ingredient at 100% in a pure vitamin E oil.

Most leave-on skincare keeps it at the lower end, often between 0.5-1%.

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!

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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. 03Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
  4. 04The "denat" part just means "denatured"; common denaturants include Denatonium Benzoate, t-butyl alcohol, and Diethyl Phthalate. This step makes the alcohol undrinkable (and lets brand skip taxes related to beverage alcohol).
  5. 05This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue to constrict pores and dry out your skin.
  6. 06However, alcohol denat. is not all that bad.
  7. 07Due to its low molecular weight, alcohol denat. tends to evaporate quickly. One study on pig skin found half of applied alcohol evaporated in 10 seconds and less than 3% stayed on skin.
  8. 08This also helps other ingredients become better absorbed upon application.
  9. 09Studies are conflicted about whether this ingredient causes skin dehydration. One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased skin dryness and irritation. Another study found irritation only occurs if your skin is a…
  10. 10Small amounts of alcohol are generally tolerated by oily skin or people who live in humid environments.
  11. 11The rule of thumb is this ingredient will probably not affect your skin much if it is near the end of an ingredients list.
  12. 12One thing to note: People with ALDH2 (aldehyde dehydrogenase 2) deficiency may experience skin irritation from continued alcohol use. About 8% of the world's population have this deficiency.
  13. 13The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has determined denatured alcohols to be safe for use in concentrations between 0.05% and 12% (depending on which denaturant is used).
  14. 14Also...
  15. 15This ingredient has antimicrobial and solvent properties.
  16. 16The antimicrobial property helps preserve products and increase their shelf life. As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients.
  17. 17Look for formulas that contain glycerin, hyaluronic acid, or panthenol if you want to offset any drying effect.
  18. 18This ingredient will trip away your skin's natural oils/lipids that help it lock in moisture. This can worsen dryness, trigger eczema flare-ups, and aggravate rosacea.
  19. 19Be sure to patch test any product with this ingredient if you have dry or sensitive skin, eczema, or rosacea.
  20. 20Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Source · skinsort.com
02

Product index

Related product references

03

Comparison edit

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