Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Toner : AHA + BHA Versus Skintific 5X Ceramide Soothing Toner
This smoothing toner is formulated around Glycolic Acid and Salicylic Acid to refine skin texture and clear breakouts.
This barrier-repair toner is formulated around Bifida Ferment Lysate and Niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier and calm redness.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPrunus Mume Fruit Water
HumectantDipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantGlycolic Acid
BufferingButylene Glycol
HumectantTromethamine
Buffering1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantSalicylic Acid
MaskingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningVigna Radiata Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
ChelatingMelia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCoccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningOcimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCurcuma Longa Root Extract
AntioxidantAloe Barbadensis Flower Extract
EmollientSolanum Melongena Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCorallina Officinalis Extract
Skin ConditioningC12-14 Pareth-12
EmulsifyingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingOctyldodeceth-16
EmulsifyingWater, Prunus Mume Fruit Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Glycolic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Tromethamine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Salicylic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Vigna Radiata Seed Extract, Disodium EDTA, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, C12-14 Pareth-12, Xanthan Gum, Octyldodeceth-16
Water
Skin ConditioningMethylpropanediol
SolventBifida Ferment Lysate
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantNiacinamide
SmoothingDimethicone
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycereth-26
HumectantCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingPropylene Glycol
HumectantMaris Aqua
HumectantCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin ConditioningCeramide Ns
Skin ConditioningCeramide Ng
Skin ConditioningCeramide As
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantPEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingHydroxyethyl Urea
HumectantBis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane
Emollient4-T-Butylcyclohexanol
MaskingUbiquinone
AntioxidantPEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin ConditioningIsononyl Isononanoate
EmollientAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingBisabolol
AntioxidantEctoin
Skin ConditioningAmmonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingTocopherol
AntioxidantLactobacillus/Soymilk Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingHamamelis Virginiana Extract
AntiseborrhoeicZingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingC12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingO-Cymen-5-Ol
AntimicrobialHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantDimethiconol
EmollientSodium Polyacrylate
AbsorbentGlucose
HumectantWater, 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
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
Dipropylene Glycol is a synthetically created humectant, stabilizer, and solvent.
This ingredient helps:
Dipropylene glycol is technically an alcohol, but it belongs to the glycol family (often considered part of the ‘good’ alcohols). This means it is hydrating and gentle on skin unlike drying solvent alcohols like denatured alcohol.
As a masking agent, Dipropylene Glycol can be used to cover the smell of other ingredients. However, it does not have a scent.
Studies show Dipropylene Glycol is considered safe to use in skincare.
Learn more about Dipropylene GlycolGlycerin (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.
Learn more about GlycerinHydroxyacetophenone is a small phenolic molecule that earns its place in a formulas as an antioxidant and preservative booster.
As a phenol, it is able to neutralize free radicals to protect both the product and the skin from oxidative stress.
Though it can't kill microbes on its own, it works as a good supporting agent when combined with other preservatives like Phenoxyethanol or 1,2-Hexanediol.
This ingredient naturally occurs as piceol in Norwegian spruce needles (~0.4-1.1% dry weight and in cloudberries). Though the cosmetic-grade material is synthesized for purity and consistency.
You'll usually see it used at low levels and suppliers recommend up to 1% added to a water phase.
Safety testing was done at concentrations like 0.05% in SPF products and 0.5% in a Human Repeated Insult Patch Test. The safety evidence is assuring; this ingredient is safe for cosmetics in current use and also holds safety status as a food flavoring as well.
An honest caveat: the "soothing" and "anti-inflammatory" claims come mostly from supplier marketing rather than published clinical trials. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review's own literature search found no useful efficacy studies on this ingredient.
So the antioxidant and preservative-boosting roles are the well supported ones while the calming benefit is plausible but thinly evidenced.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated, low-irritation multitasker that quietly helps a formula stay fresh and stable.
Learn more about HydroxyacetophenoneWater. 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