APLB Snail Mucin Ginseng Facial Cream Versus Haruharu Wonder Centella 4% TXA Dark Spot Go Away Serum
This calming moisturizer is formulated around Centella Asiatica Leaf Water and Snail Secretion Filtrate to calm redness and hydrate skin.
This brightening serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Tranexamic Acid to fade the look of dark spots and calm redness.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Leaf Water 32%
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientButylene Glycol
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Snail Secretion Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingHydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientTrideceth-10
CleansingSilica
Abrasive
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Trehalose
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingNelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningArtemisia Princeps Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Saccharomyces Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantHippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Madecassic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Asiaticoside
Antioxidant
Asiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Propanediol
Solvent
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Water, Centella Asiatica Leaf Water 32%, Glycerin, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Butylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Snail Secretion Filtrate, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Sodium Polyacrylate, Stearic Acid, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Trideceth-10, Silica, Glyceryl Stearate, Beeswax, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Betaine, Trehalose, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Artemisia Princeps Leaf Extract, Oryza Sativa Extract, Saccharomyces Ferment, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Squalane, Beta-Glucan, Dipropylene Glycol, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Madecassic Acid, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Propanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Niacinamide 4%
Smoothing
Tranexamic Acid 4%
Astringent
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Pyrus Communis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Asiaticoside
Antioxidant
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Asiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Madecassic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Water, Propanediol, Niacinamide 4%, Tranexamic Acid 4%, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Pyrus Communis Fruit Extract, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Madecassoside, Centella Asiatica Extract, Asiaticoside, Ascorbic Acid, Asiatic Acid, Madecassic Acid, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Reviews
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
Asiatic Acid is one of the four main actives found in Centella Asiatica. Its headline job is stimulating collagen.
Lab tests on human skin cells show Asiatic Acid tells your skin to make more collagen, the protein that keeps skin firm and bouncy.
It also calms inflammation and acts as an antioxidant so it can help skin heal faster, rebuild itself, and repair a damaged barrier.
And on naming, even though "acid" is in the name, it's nothing like an AHA or BHA exfoliant. It's a gentle firming and soothing ingredient that supports your skin barrier.
Concentration-wise, Asiatic Acid is potent at very low doses and usually shows up as a small fraction of a broader centella extract.
Analyses of centella material put Asiatic Acid reported in the range of 0.2-3% of the extract.
This ingredient is non-sensitizing and guinea pig sensitization testing also found it to be a weak sensitizer. That means the risk of acquiring contact sensitivty is quite low.
Allergic contact dermatitis does exist but is also very rare; documented cases tend to involve prolonged use on broken skin plus co-sensitization to fragrance ingredients.
Learn more about Asiatic AcidAsiaticoside comes from the super popular skin-soothing ingredient, Centella asiatica. It's the reason centella-based products have a strong reputation for repairing and calming skin, along with its sibling compound Madecassoside.
Research from 2016-2025 supports its role in:
You'll usually find this in concentrations between 0.2-5%.
Learn more about AsiaticosideButylene 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.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolEthylhexylglycerin 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.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinMadecassic Acid is one of the four star actives in Centella Asiatica. In skincare, it earns its keep as a calming and repairing ingredient.
It works through the same core pathways as the rest of the centella family.
First, it turns down inflammation so it helps with things like redness and general upset skin.
Second, it acts as an antioxidant which means it helps protect skin from daily stress and damage.
And third, it nudges the skin to make more collagen and rebuild its support structure.
That combination is why the whole Centella family is known for calming skin, strengthening the barrier, fading redness, and giving anti-aging benefits.
It's worth being honest about the evidence here; a lot of the strongest data is on the full extract or a Madecassoside/Asiaticoside rather than Madecassic Acid alone. Reviewers also note more long-term clinical trials are needed to confirm the full potential.
Concentration-wise, this ingredient is rarely used pure and usually shows up as part of a standardized centella extract where reported content ranges from 0.02-3.06%.
Finished products typically run somewhere in the 0.1-10% range depending on the format.
In real-world tolerance tests, a repeat-insult patch test on an eye lotion with 0.2% Centella extract showed no irritation or allergic contact dermatitis in 54 subjects. And a mascara with 0.5% Madecassoside caused neither irritation nor sensitization in 109 subjects.
Allergy risk is very low, but not zero. Centella and its constituents are classified as weak contact sensitizers and some rare cases of allergic contact dermatitis exist.
Learn more about Madecassic AcidPropanediol 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.
Learn more about PropanediolThis is a lab-made ingredient that plays a huge role in improving the texture of a formula.
It's used to thicken watery gel-creams, prevent water + oil from separating, and give products a silky, non-greasy glide.
Safety-wise, a panel of independent toxicologists reviewed this ingredient and concluded it to be safe in cosmetics in the present practices of use and concentration.
A separate sensitization patch test on humans also showed no evidence of allergic reactivity, and a true allergy to this ingredient is considered rare.
Typical usage levels range from 0.015%-3% in leave-on products and 0.078%-3.2% in rinse-off products.
Learn more about Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl TaurateWater. 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!
Learn more about Water
