Updated on January 04, 2024
Overview
What they are
These products are both reef safe . They have a total of 5 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain hyaluronic acid
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing and dark spots
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, parabens, silicones or sulfates
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that needs an update? Let us know.
Ingredient Info
COSRX Galactomyces 95 Tone Balancing Essence 12 ingredients
Neogen Real Ferment Micro Toner 28 ingredients
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
COSRX Galactomyces 95 Tone Balancing Essence 12 ingredients
Neogen Real Ferment Micro Toner 28 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
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Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Benefits
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Concerns
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Ingredients Side-by-side
Not safe for Fungal Acne
Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate (GFF) is a yeast traditionally used to make the Japanese alcoholic beverage, sake.
6 Benefits
Niacinamide has emerged as an all-star ingredient due to its many benefits.
Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.
Betaine is a common humectant (a substance that promotes retention of moisture). It's known to be gentle on the skin and can help balance hydration.
Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It can be found naturally in our skin and hair.
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
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.
Allantoin plays a role in soothing and moisturizing the skin. Because of this, it is often added to products with strong active ingredients.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
Adenosine is in every living organism. It is one of four components in nucleic acids that helps store our DNA.
Bifida Ferment Lysate is derived from the fermentation of Bifida bacteria (often with dairy). It is a probiotic and helps to strengthen our skin's microbiome.
Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate is created from fermenting Saccharomyces, a yeast also known as baker's yeast or brewer's yeast.
Rice Ferment Filtrate is created by fermenting rice, or oryza sativa. A common name for this ingredient is sake, the traditional Japanese fermented rice alcoholic beverage.
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.
Propanediol helps absorb ingredients into your skin, boosting their benefits. It can act as an emollient, making your skin softer. Propanediol can help products last longer by boosting the properties of preservatives within the formulation.
Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate comes from Capric Acid and Polyglycerin-4. It is an emulsifier.
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.
Glycereth-25 PCA Isostearate isn't fungal acne safe.
5 Benefits
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract is derived from the leaves of the tea plant. Black tea, green tea, and oolong tea are all harvested from this plant.
Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.
Sodium Lactate is the sodium salt of lactic acid, an AHA. It is a humectant and used to adjust the pH of a product.
This is the synthetic salt of gluconic acid, a form of PHA and mild exfoliant.
Allantoin plays a role in soothing and moisturizing the skin. Because of this, it is often added to products with strong active ingredients.
Lactobacillus is a type of bacteria. It makes up most of the food fermenting lactic acid bacteria. It is used to create wine, yogurt, cheese, sauerkraut, pickles, beer, cider, kimchi, cocoa, kefir.
Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.
Tromethamine is an aliphatic compound. An aliphatic compound is an organic compound with open-chained carbon atoms. It is synthetically created. Tromethamine is used to balance pH and improve texture.
Oil EU Allergen
Mentha Piperita Oil is the volatile oil obtained from the whole plant of the Peppermint plant.
2 Benefits
Gluconolactone is a PHA. PHAs are a great gentle alternative to traditional AHAs.
Preservative 5 Benefits 4 Concerns
Salicylic Acid (also known as beta hydroxy acid or BHA) is one of the most well-known ingredients for treating skin that struggles with blackheads and acne. It helps to exfoliate both the skin's surface and pores, and also acts as an anti-inflammatory agent.
Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It can be found naturally in our skin and hair.
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid comes from salicylic acid, the famous acne-fighting BHA.
7 Benefits 2 Concerns
Glycolic Acid is arguably the most famous AHA with a ton of research to back up its benefits.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
4 Benefits May cause irritation
Hyaluronic acid is naturally found in healthy skin. It is a humectant, meaning it draws moisture to your skin.
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is a form of hyaluronic acid. It is created by the hydrolysis of hyaluronic acid with a high molecular weight. Once created, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid has a low molecular weight.
Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.
Bifida Ferment Lysate, Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate, Betula Alba Juice, Rice Ferment Filtrate, Water, Aspergillus Ferment, Propanediol, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycereth-25 PCA Isostearate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Lactate, Sodium Gluconate, Allantoin, Lactobacillus, Disodium EDTA, Tromethamine, Mentha Piperita Oil, Gluconolactone, Salicylic Acid, Panthenol, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 HyaluronatePanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It can be found naturally in our skin and hair.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5 or dexpanthenol in dermatology.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
Learn more about Panthenol1,2-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.
Allantoin plays a role in soothing and moisturizing the skin. Because of this, it is often added to products with strong active ingredients.
Some studies have shown this ingredient can promote wound healing with higher concentrations.
Allantoin is derived from the comfrey plant but produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Learn more about AllantoinButylene 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.
Ingredient Ratings
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
When to use
COSRX Galactomyces 95 Tone Balancing Essence 12 ingredients
Neogen Real Ferment Micro Toner 28 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
COSRX Galactomyces 95 Tone Balancing Essence 12 ingredients
screamadelica
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?
sioloisiol
At first, it seemed like it wasn't doing much, but after consistently using it every night for about 5 months, I noticed a significant improvement...
At first, it seemed like it wasn't doing much, but after consistently using it every night for about 5 months, I noticed a significant improvement in my skin! While I still have visible pores and sebaceous filaments, I believe my skin texture has gotten better.
As for my PIH, I haven't really noticed any big changes just using this product on its own. I don't think the 2% niacinamide is strong enough to make a noticeable difference. But, when I started adding TO Alpha Arbutin to my routine after using this essence, that's when I saw some real progress in lightening my hyperpigmentation!
