Muji Mild Milk Cleansing Versus Muji Lip Essence
This mild cream makeup remover is made to dissolve makeup, sunscreen, and daily buildup.
This barrier-repair lip moisturizer is formulated around Ceramide NP and Sodium Hyaluronate to strengthen the lip barrier and hydrate lips.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientCetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientPolyquaternium-51
Skin Conditioning
Prunus Armeniaca Juice
MoisturisingPrunus Persica Leaf Extract
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Glyceryl Behenate/Eicosadioate
Emollient
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Water, Glycerin, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Isononyl Isononanoate, Polyquaternium-51, Prunus Armeniaca Juice, Prunus Persica Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Butylene Glycol, Squalane, Glyceryl Behenate/Eicosadioate, Polysorbate 60, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Carbomer, Tocopherol, Potassium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientDiisostearyl Malate
EmollientPolyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate
Emulsifying
Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Skin ConditioningSilica Dimethyl Silylate
EmollientCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Simethicone
Emollient
Silica
Abrasive
Aluminum Hydroxide
EmollientButylene Glycol
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningMethicone
Emollient
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Iron Oxides
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Diisostearyl Malate, Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Ceramide NP, Sodium Hyaluronate, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopherol, Simethicone, Silica, Aluminum Hydroxide, Butylene Glycol, Water, Methicone, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycolHydrogenated Polyisobutene is a synthetic polymer. Polymers are compounds with high molecular weight. Hydrogenated Polyisobutene is an emollient and texture enhancer.
In one study, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene showed better skin hydration levels than Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride. As an emollient, it helps keep your skin soft and hydrated by trapping moisture in.
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene is often used as a mineral oil replacement.
Learn more about Hydrogenated PolyisobutenePhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
