Versus

Holika Holika Prime Youth Black Snail Repair Emulsion Versus COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All In One Cream

Emulsion
General Moisturizer
Korean Brand South Korea
Korean Brand South Korea

Updated on May 29, 2024

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe . They have a total of 14 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain hyaluronic acid

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for dry skin, sensitive skin, reducing pores, scar healing and dark spots

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, parabens or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain silicones

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

Click any item below to learn more and see relevant ingredients

About this product

About this product

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

found in both products
Prime Youth Black Snail Repair Emulsion

Snail Secretion Filtrate

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Water

Skin Conditioning

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene

Emollient
1 / 2

Glycerin

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Betaine

Humectant
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Dark Spots Icon

Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprate

Emollient

Cyclopentasiloxane

Emollient
Silicon Icon

Butylene Glycol

Humectant
1 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Niacinamide

Smoothing
Niacinamide IconGood for Oily Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Scar Healing IconHelps fight Acne IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate

Emollient

Phytosteryl/Isostearyl/Cetyl/Stearyl/Behenyl Dimer Dilinoleate

Skin Conditioning

Beta-Glucan

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation Icon

C14-22 Alcohols

Emulsion Stabilising

C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside

Emulsifying

Glycosyl Trehalose

Emulsion Stabilising

Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate

Humectant

Batyl Alcohol

Emollient

Stearic Acid

Cleansing
2-3 / 0 May worsen Oily Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Palmitic Acid

Emollient
2 / 0 May worsen Oily Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Masking

Portulaca Oleracea Extract

Skin Conditioning

Cetearyl Alcohol

Emollient
2 / 1 Fatty Alcohol IconMay worsen Oily Skin IconBad for Acne Prone Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Hydrogenated Castor Oil Isostearate

Skin Conditioning
Oil IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Dimethicone

Emollient
1 / 0 Silicon Icon

Beeswax

Emulsion Stabilising
0-2 / 0 May worsen Oily Skin IconBad for Acne Prone Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Emulsion Stabilising

Punica Granatum Fruit Extract

Antioxidant

Panax Ginseng Root Extract

Emollient
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation Icon

Brassica Napus Extract

Skin Conditioning

Yeast Extract

Skin Conditioning
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Glycine Soja Phytoplacenta Extract

Skin Conditioning

Pearl Powder

Squalane

Emollient
1 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Polysorbate 60

Emulsifying
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Tocopheryl Acetate

Antioxidant
0 / 0 Vitamin E IconAntioxidant Icon

Disodium EDTA

Sodium Hyaluronate

Humectant
0 / 0 Hyaluronic Acid Icon

PEG-180

Humectant

Gluconolactone

Skin Conditioning
PHA IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Scar Healing IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Adenosine

Skin Conditioning
Good for Minimizing Pores IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Xanthan Gum

Emulsifying

Lecithin

Emollient

Tromethamine

Buffering

Carbomer

Emulsion Stabilising
1 / 0

Phenoxyethanol

Preservative
Preservative Icon

Caprylhydroxamic Acid

Caprylyl Glycol

Emollient

Parfum

Masking
Fragrance IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Hexyl Cinnamal

Perfuming
Fragrance IconMay cause irritation IconEU Allergen Icon

Limonene

Perfuming
Fragrance IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Linalool

Perfuming
Fragrance IconMay cause irritation IconEU Allergen IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone

Perfuming
Fragrance IconMay cause irritation IconEU Allergen Icon

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Skin Conditioning

Snail Secretion Filtrate is the excretion from snails. It is an effective moisturizer and promotes collagen production.

A popular nickname for this ingredient is 'Snail Mucin'.

Snail mucin has numerous skin benefits:

On top of this, Snail Secretion Filtrate contains a variety of vitamins and minerals. These include copper peptides, Vitamin A, and vitamin E. Vitamins A and E are antioxidants. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals that damage skin cells.

Being cruelty-free means a brand does not experiment on animals. If you're worried about the well-being of the snails, we recommend looking more into the company of the product. Many brands have developed humane methods to collect snail mucin.

There is much debate on this subject. On one hand, this ingredient comes from an animal. On the other hand, many will argue the ingredient is naturally secreted (like a natural by-product) and therefore vegan. If you have reservations, you can look into Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate or Centella Asiatica Extract as alternatives.

Learn more about Snail Secretion Filtrate
Skin Conditioning, Solvent

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. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water
Humectant, Skin Conditioning

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.

This ingredient is best for improving hydration and soothing irritated skin. Studies also show it helps even out skin tone.

Fun fact: Betaine is naturally created in the skin and body. The kind found within cosmetic products can be either plant-derived or synthetic.

Learn more about Betaine
Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning

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.
  • It has mild preservative properties.

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.

Cleansing, Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising

Stearic Acid is a fatty acid. It is an emollient, emulsifier, and texture enhancer.

As an emollient, stearic acid helps soften skin. It aids the skin's protective barrier by preventing water loss. It also provides a gentle cleansing effect without stripping away natural oils.

Stearic acid may also be used to enhance the texture of products. It can add volume and stabilize ingredients such as water and oil. This can help water and oil ingredients from separating.

Sources of stearic acid include animal or vegetable fats/oils such as coconut or shea. It can be naturally found in butter, cocoa butter, shea butter, vegetable fats, and animal tallow.

This ingredient may not be Malassezia folliculitis, or fungal-acne safe.

Learn more about Stearic Acid
Emollient, Emulsifying

Palmitic Acid is a fatty acid found in our skin. In cosmetics, it is usually derived from palm oil. It is a cleanser, emollient, and emulsifier.

As an emollient, it helps hydrate the skin. The emulsifying properties keep ingredients together in a product.

Palmitic Acid may not be fungal-acne safe.

Learn more about Palmitic Acid
Masking, Skin Conditioning

This ingredient is an emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.

It helps thicken a product's formula and makes it easier to spread by dissolving clumping compounds.

Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid.

While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this.

Learn more about Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Emollient, Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising

Cetearyl alcohol is a mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is mainly used as an emulsifier. Emulsifiers help prevent the separation of oils and products. Due to its composition, it can also be used to thicken a product or help create foam.

Cetearyl alcohol is an emollient. Emollients help soothe and hydrate the skin by trapping moisture.

Studies show Cetearyl alcohol is non-toxic and non-irritating. The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.

This ingredient is usually derived from plant oils such as palm, vegetable, or coconut oils. There is debate on whether this ingredient will cause acne.

Due to the fatty acid base, this ingredient may not be Malassezia folliculitis safe.

Learn more about Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting

Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz.

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.

Learn more about Dimethicone
Humectant, Skin Conditioning

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
Skin Conditioning

Adenosine is in every living organism. It is one of four components in nucleic acids that helps store our DNA.

Adenosine has many benefits when used. These benefits include hydrating the skin, smoothing skin, and reducing wrinkles. Once applied, adenosine increases collagen production. It also helps with improving firmness and tissue repair.

Studies have found adenosine may also help with wound healing.

In skincare products, Adenosine is usually derived from yeast.

Learn more about Adenosine
Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming

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.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

Learn more about Xanthan Gum
Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming

Carbomer is a polymer of acrylic acid. Its main role is to create a gel consistency.

A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.

Preservative

Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.

It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.

When to use

35 Routines
43% use in am
57% use in pm
94% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->
1,919 Routines
47% use in am
53% use in pm
96% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Holika Holika Prime Youth Black Snail Repair Emulsion 52 ingredients

Prime Youth Black Snail Repair Emulsion hasn't been rated yet.
Rate it now

COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All In One Cream 22 ingredients

2.8 /5
from 41 ratings
Sticky (26) No Scent (22) Hydrating (14)
sjordan74's avatar

Shane Jordan

7 months ago
Review

6-Month Update: Honestly, I may have spoken too soon—I actually like the CosRX Snail Mucin All-in-One Cream! I had to accept that not every product is meant for daily use, and I find myself reaching for this more in warm weather. It layers well under sunscreen and is perfect for days when I want something lighter. I love the way it feels, and since I’m just about done with my original jar, a Show more

#great value
#light
#absorbs well
#no scent
arminr.'s avatar

Min

10 months ago
Review

like thicker snail mucin, personally it works great for me especially in the summer. i have dry sensitive skin so this has helped with my barrier. i don't use this as my last step (only on exfoliation day tho) and usually put my sunscreen overtop or use it with the sandwich method for my retinol

#light
#sticky
#no scent
#works well