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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of COSRX Galactomyces 95 Tone Balancing Essence versus ma:nyo Galac Niacin 2.0 Essence .

Last updated on January 04, 2024. Published on February 19, 2022

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe . They have a total of 6 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain hyaluronic acid and niacinamide

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin, oily skin, reducing pores and dark spots

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, fragrances, oils, parabens, silicones or sulfates

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.

Essence South Korean Brand South Korea
Serum South Korean Brand South Korea

Essence

Essences are used to prep skin for further treatment and may provide extra skin benefits. They are usually used before serum and moisturizers. Essences are thought to have originated in either Japan or Korea and is an essential step in K-Beauty.

Serum

Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.

Price

Shop

Buy Galactomyces 95 Tone Balancing Essence

Starts at $12.39
Shop

Buy Galac Niacin 2.0 Essence

Starts at $29.00

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Notable Ingredients

Niacinamide
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating (3)
Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing (3)
Reduces Irritation (3)
Reduces Large Pores
Dark Spots
Scar Healing
Acne Fighting
Brightening (2)

Notable Ingredients

Niacinamide
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating
Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing
Reduces Irritation
Reduces Large Pores
Dark Spots
Acne Fighting
Brightening

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin
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Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

1
What it does: Humectant
Community Rating: Liked

Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate (GFF) is a yeast traditionally used to make the Japanese alcoholic beverage, sake. GFF has moisturizing and antioxidant properties.

Studies show GFF applied to the skin improves our skin's natural moisturizing factors (NMF). Our NMF consists of many components that naturally moisturize our skin. Having healthy NMF keeps our skin plump, protected, and hydrated.

GFF tells our skin to create more filaggrin, an important component for NMF. Filaggrin gathers all the structural proteins in our outer layer of skin and creates a tight barrier, helping to protect our skin against allergens and bacteria. This also helps prevent moisture loss.

Thanks to its antioxidant properties, GFF also protects our skin against oxidative stress and UV induced inflammation. One study found GFF helped regulate sebum and keratin in participants.

GFF may not be fungal-acne safe. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have concerns.

Many components of sake, such as GFF, are studied for their anti-aging benefits today. This is because sake brewers are known to have youthful hands.

Learn more about Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate

COSRX Galactomyces 95 Tone Balancing Essence contains this as ingredient number 1.

ma:nyo Galac Niacin 2.0 Essence contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Smoothing
Community Rating: Loved

Niacinamide has emerged as an all-star ingredient due to its many benefits.

It is known to treat acne by reducing inflammation. It also helps fade dark-spots and strengthen the skin by promoting the growth of the ceramide barrier.

Other benefits include smoothing wrinkles and minimizing redness.

The cherry on top? Niacinamide can also help build keratin, a protein that keeps skin firm.

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.

Niacinamide can be mixed with other ingredients to boost benefits. For instance, it has shown to be effective when used with copper, folic acid, and zinc to treat acne.

Learn more about Niacinamide

COSRX Galactomyces 95 Tone Balancing Essence contains this as ingredient number 2.

ma:nyo Galac Niacin 2.0 Essence contains this as ingredient number 2.

3
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Loved

Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.

Like hyaluronic acid, it is great at holding water and acts as a humectant. This makes it a great skin hydrating ingredient.

Sodium Hyaluronate is naturally occurring in our bodies and is mostly found in eye fluid and joints.

These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:

Learn more about Sodium Hyaluronate

COSRX Galactomyces 95 Tone Balancing Essence contains this as ingredient number 3.

ma:nyo Galac Niacin 2.0 Essence contains this as ingredient number 4.

4
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Loved

Panthenol (also referred to as pro-vitamin B5) is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin.

lt is a humectant, meaning that it helps the skin attract and retain moisture.

Another benefit is the anti-inflammatory abilities. This means that it's great for sensitive, irritation-prone skin.

Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.

Learn more about Panthenol

COSRX Galactomyces 95 Tone Balancing Essence contains this as ingredient number 5.

ma:nyo Galac Niacin 2.0 Essence contains this as ingredient number 3.

5
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Mixed

1,2-Hexanediol is a multi-tasker ingredient. It acts as a preservative to increase shelf-life and can aid other preservatives in preventing microbe growth. 1,2-Hexanediol also helps the skin retain moisture as a humectant.

In products that are water-based, this ingredient can help stabilize perfumes and fragrances. It can also help make the texture of products softer and more smooth.

COSRX Galactomyces 95 Tone Balancing Essence contains this as ingredient number 7.

ma:nyo Galac Niacin 2.0 Essence contains this as ingredient number 5.

6
What it does: Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Mixed

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

  • It is a solvent, meaning that it helps to dissolve other ingredients. This also enhances the absorption of the product into one's skin.
  • It is a humectant, which means that it helps attract moisture into the skin.
  • It helps improve product application.

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient. It is unlikely to irritate skin, and works well with pretty much all other ingredients.

COSRX Galactomyces 95 Tone Balancing Essence contains this as ingredient number 9.

ma:nyo Galac Niacin 2.0 Essence contains this as ingredient number 6.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

67% are loved or liked
25% have mixed ratings
8% are disliked or very disliked
0% have no rating yet
46% are loved or liked
31% have mixed ratings
15% are disliked or very disliked
8% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

COSRX Galactomyces 95 Tone Balancing Essence 12 ingredients

4.5 /5
from 4 ratings
screamadelica's avatar

screamadelica

7 months ago · Normal Skin
Review

love this!
i love how hydrating and soothing this product is. if your skin can handle fermented ingredients, then this essence is a great...

love this!
i love how hydrating and soothing this product is. if your skin can handle fermented ingredients, then this essence is a great alternative to their snail essence (unfortunately, there are a ridiculous number of fakes of the snail essence on the internet, but i don’t see as many counterfeits of this one).
this product actually contains more galactomyces (ahem sorry i meant PITERA™) than the significantly more costly SK-II essence. interesting, huh?

ma:nyo Galac Niacin 2.0 Essence 13 ingredients

4.5 /5
from 2 ratings
Absorbs Well (1) Hydrating (1) No Scent (1)
AnaG's avatar

AnaG

20 days ago · Dry Skin
Review

Bought for my husband. He likes it. Fluid and non sticky but very hidrating. His rosacea didn't complain. Happy husband happy wife without someone...

Bought for my husband. He likes it. Fluid and non sticky but very hidrating. His rosacea didn't complain. Happy husband happy wife without someone using her skincare.

Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to COSRX Galactomyces 95 Tone Balancing Essence.

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Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to ma:nyo Galac Niacin 2.0 Essence.

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