Versus

Isntree Chestnut AHA 8% Clear Essence Versus COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence

Essence
Essence
Korean Brand South Korea
Korean Brand South Korea

Updated on October 30, 2024

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe essences. 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 dry skin, sensitive skin, scar healing 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 needs an update? Let us know.

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and see relevant ingredients

What's inside (and what isn't)

What's inside (and what isn't)

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Benefits

Ingredients Side-by-side

found in both products

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning

Butylene 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 Glycol
Skin Conditioning, Solvent

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 
Skin Conditioning

Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.

There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.

D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.

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.

This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.

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

This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.

Learn more about Panthenol
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, Skin Protecting, Soothing

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 Allantoin

When to use

94 Routines
18% use in am
82% use in pm
44% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->
20,904 Routines
48% use in am
52% use in pm
97% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Isntree Chestnut AHA 8% Clear Essence 25 ingredients

4.0 /5
from 2 ratings
Light (2) No Scent (2) Works Well (2)
sumayabegum's avatar

su maya

4 months ago
Review

this works so well!! it got rid of all my texture. my skin looks and feels so smooth. it’s very light on the skin and absorbs almost immediately. the only reason why i rated this product 4 stars is bc it gave me fungal acne on my forehead :( i didn’t think this product would trigger my fungal acne as it only has one ingredient (cetearyl alcohol) that isn’t fungal acne safe. but thankfully i Show more

#light
#absorbs well
#no scent
#works well
iamloveday's avatar

Erin Loveday

10 months ago
Review

it felt very light and was the first ever essence i used but really worked well. But the fact that it feels so light makes you want to put more because it feels like you’ve put nothing on your skin.

#great value
#light
#no scent
#works well

COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence 12 ingredients

3.6 /5
from 338 ratings
Hydrating (95) No Scent (79) Works Well (67)
cgi's avatar

cgi

1 year ago
Review

this snail mucin essence really is one of the best ones out there— it's a holy grail. this product was my very first impression of cosrx, and the short ingredient list is very surprising with how effective it is. i've been using it for about a year now, and it's become a staple in my routine. after my first couple weeks of use, a lot of my dark spots disappeared and calmed down my hormonal acne & Show more

#expensive
#hydrating
#light
#absorbs well
robinorr's avatar

Robin Orr

10 months ago
Review

This ruined my face! I didn’t know that my dust mite allergy also made me allergic to this. I used it for five months and everything seemed fine, but then I started to get a goatee of fungal acne with big red patches. I’d also been getting a lot of big pimples in my hairline from it. It’s taken me months to understand what happened and to soothe my sad skin. Be warned not to jump off the bridge Show more

#broke me out
#irritating