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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Isntree Chestnut BHA 2% Clear Liquid versus Isntree Chestnut BHA 0.9% Clear Toner .

Last updated on April 07, 2024. Published on February 13, 2023

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free, fungal acne (malassezia) safe, and reef safe . They have a total of 13 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain BHA and hyaluronic acid

Suited For

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

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, 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.

Exfoliator South Korean Brand South Korea
Toner South Korean Brand South Korea

Exfoliator

Exfoliators are used to exfoliate the skin, or remove dead skin cells from the skin. Exfoliators may be chemical or physical.

Toner

Toners are used as a “last-step” cleanser, a pH balancer, add moisture to the skin, or may help in reducing impurities on the skin. They have a liquid consistency and are usually used after cleansers but before treatments.

Price

Shop

Buy Chestnut BHA 2% Clear Liquid

Starts at $10.49
Shop

Buy Chestnut BHA 0.9% Clear Toner

Starts at $15.75

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

BHA
Hyaluronic Acid (3)

Benefits

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

Concerns

Drying
Irritating (2)
Rosacea
Eczema

Notable Ingredients

BHA
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating
Good For Oily Skin (2)
Redness Reducing (4)
Reduces Irritation (7)
Reduces Large Pores
Scar Healing
Brightening

Concerns

Rosacea (2)
Eczema
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Ingredients Compared

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

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: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

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. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

Isntree Chestnut BHA 2% Clear Liquid contains this as ingredient number 1.

Isntree Chestnut BHA 0.9% Clear Toner contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
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.

Isntree Chestnut BHA 2% Clear Liquid contains this as ingredient number 2.

Isntree Chestnut BHA 0.9% Clear Toner contains this as ingredient number 2.

3
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.

Isntree Chestnut BHA 2% Clear Liquid contains this as ingredient number 4.

Isntree Chestnut BHA 0.9% Clear Toner contains this as ingredient number 12.

4
What it does: Skin Conditioning

Castanea Crenata Shell Extract comes from the shell of the chestnut.

Studies show chestnut shells to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Antioxidants protect your skin against damaging molecules. This may help reduce the signs of aging.

Learn more about Castanea Crenata Shell Extract

Isntree Chestnut BHA 2% Clear Liquid contains this as ingredient number 6.

Isntree Chestnut BHA 0.9% Clear Toner contains this as ingredient number 21.

5
What it does: Buffering
Community Rating: Mixed

Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.

In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.

Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.

"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.

Learn more about Sodium Hydroxide

Isntree Chestnut BHA 2% Clear Liquid contains this as ingredient number 7.

Isntree Chestnut BHA 0.9% Clear Toner contains this as ingredient number 31.

6
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.

A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.

As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.

Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.

Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.

In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.

This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Learn more about Glycerin

Isntree Chestnut BHA 2% Clear Liquid contains this as ingredient number 8.

Isntree Chestnut BHA 0.9% Clear Toner contains this as ingredient number 3.

7
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Mixed

Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.

You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.

Isntree Chestnut BHA 2% Clear Liquid contains this as ingredient number 10.

Isntree Chestnut BHA 0.9% Clear Toner contains this as ingredient number 17.

8
What it does: Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Disliked

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

Isntree Chestnut BHA 2% Clear Liquid contains this as ingredient number 11.

Isntree Chestnut BHA 0.9% Clear Toner contains this as ingredient number 7.

9
What it does:
Community Rating: Disliked

Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.

It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.

Disodium EDTA is a salt of edetic acid and is found to be safe in cosmetic ingredients.

Learn more about Disodium EDTA

Isntree Chestnut BHA 2% Clear Liquid contains this as ingredient number 13.

Isntree Chestnut BHA 0.9% Clear Toner contains this as ingredient number 29.

10
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate comes from licorice root.

Extracts of licorice have demonstrated to have antibacterial, anti‐inflammatory, antiviral, antioxidant properties.

One component, glabridin, has extra potent antioxidant and soothing properties. It has also been found to block pigmentation from UVB rays in guinea pigs.

Licorice Root also contains a flavonoid. Flavonoids are a natural substance from in plants. Flavonoids also have antioxidant properties.

Another component, glycyrrhizin, has been found to have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial benefits. This may make licorice root extract effective at treating acne. However, more research is needed to support this.

Liquiritin is one of the flavone compounds found in licorice. It has been found to help lighten skin by preventing tyrosinase from reacting with tyrosine. When the two react, protein is converted to melanin. Melanin is the substance in your body that gives your features pigmentation.

Licorice root is native to Southern Europe and Asia. It has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to help with respiratory issues.

Learn more about Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Isntree Chestnut BHA 2% Clear Liquid contains this as ingredient number 15.

Isntree Chestnut BHA 0.9% Clear Toner contains this as ingredient number 30.

11
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

Isntree Chestnut BHA 2% Clear Liquid contains this as ingredient number 19.

Isntree Chestnut BHA 0.9% Clear Toner contains this as ingredient number 5.

12
What it does: Astringent, Skin Conditioning, Soothing, Tonic
Community Rating: Liked

Salix Alba Bark Extract comes from the white willow tree, which is native to Europe and Central Asia.

Salix Alba Bark Extract has often been described as salicylic acid's cousin. This is due to the salicin it contains. However, studies are limited showing salix alba bark to be an effective salicylic acid alternative.

Salicin does have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It has shown to decrease the formation of inflammatory mediators, such as tumor necrosis factor-α and nuclear factor-kappa B. Salicin also has a mildly exfoliating effect on the skin.

Several other components in salix alba bark extract also contain antioxidant properties, such as flavonoids and polyphenols. Antioxidants may help with anti-aging as they neutralize harmful free-radical molecules.

Willow Bark extract has been used for thousands of years. Ancient civilizations used white willow to help treat pain and fevers.

Learn more about Salix Alba Bark Extract

Isntree Chestnut BHA 2% Clear Liquid contains this as ingredient number 20.

Isntree Chestnut BHA 0.9% Clear Toner contains this as ingredient number 15.

13
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Soothing
Community Rating: Loved

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

Isntree Chestnut BHA 2% Clear Liquid contains this as ingredient number 21.

Isntree Chestnut BHA 0.9% Clear Toner contains this as ingredient number 11.

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

52% are loved or liked
29% have mixed ratings
14% are disliked or very disliked
5% have no rating yet
45% are loved or liked
12% have mixed ratings
12% are disliked or very disliked
30% have no rating yet

Usage

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

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Isntree Chestnut BHA 2% Clear Liquid 21 ingredients

4.7 /5
from 6 reviews
BrittBrine's Avatar'
Nov 29, 2023

HG! This is my favorite chemical exfoliant I have ever used! I will use this forever!
It's a watery toner but the next morning my face looks so nice and feels so smooth. It has helped with acne and doesn't sting if using on healthy...

HG! This is my favorite chemical exfoliant I have ever used! I will use this forever!
It's a watery toner but the next morning my face looks so nice and feels so smooth. It has helped with acne and doesn't sting if using on healthy skin. It also doesn't dry out my skin if I leave it on for a while before putting other products on.

Great Value
Hydrating
Light
Absorbs Well
Works Well
ChantelleAng's Avatar'
Apr 7, 2024

GREAT exfoliator for ppl with sensitive skin. so gentle and is very effective. its so much better than paula's choice for me, so much more gentle highly recc!!!

GREAT exfoliator for ppl with sensitive skin. so gentle and is very effective. its so much better than paula's choice for me, so much more gentle highly recc!!!

Great Value
Hydrating
Light
Absorbs Well
No Scent
Works Well

Isntree Chestnut BHA 0.9% Clear Toner 33 ingredients

2.0 /5
from 1 review

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