Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Neogen Dermalogy Real Ferment Micro Essence versus Acwell Licorice Ph Balancing Advance Serum .
Published on November 29, 2021
Overview
What they are
These products are both reef safe . They have a total of 12 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain exfoliants, hyaluronic acid and niacinamide
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, 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, common allergens, fragrances, 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.
Essence
Essences are used to prep skin for further treatment and may provide extra skin benefits. They are usually used before serum and moisturizers. Essences are thought to have originated in either Japan or Korea and is an essential step in K-Beauty.
Serum
Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.
Price
Ingredient Info
Neogen Dermalogy Real Ferment Micro Essence 49 ingredients
Acwell Licorice Ph Balancing Advance Serum 35 ingredients
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Fragrance Free
This product is free of fragrances 🎉
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Contains Oils
Ingredients in this product that are types of oil:
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Not Cruelty Free
This product is not cruelty-free 😥
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Fragrance Free
This product is free of fragrances 🎉
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Malassezia Safe
This product is free of malassezia feeding ingredients 🎉
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Neogen Dermalogy Real Ferment Micro Essence 49 ingredients
Acwell Licorice Ph Balancing Advance Serum 35 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
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This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Benefits
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients 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:
This product contains 2 ingredients 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:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 4 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Neogen Dermalogy Real Ferment Micro Essence 49 ingredients
Acwell Licorice Ph Balancing Advance Serum 35 ingredients
Bifida Ferment Lysate • Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate • Betula Platyphylla Japonica Juice • Rice Ferment Filtrate • Aspergillus Ferment • Glycerin • Dipropylene Glycol • Methyl Gluceth-20 • Water • Betaine • Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract • Ethylhexylglycerin • Trehalose • Lactobacillus • Peg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil • Caprylyl Glycol • Trideceth-10 • Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer • Tromethamine • 1,2-Hexanediol • Tropolone • Allantoin • Butylene Glycol • Coptis Japonica Extract • Arginine • Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose • Hydrogenated Lecithin • Calcium Carbonate • Sodium Hyaluronate • Adenosine • Niacinamide • Dextrin • Glycine • Serine • Glutamic Acid • Aspartic Acid • Leucine • Alanine • Lysine • Tyrosine • Phenylalanine • Proline • Threonine • Valine • Isoleucine • Phenoxyethanol • Histidine • Methionine • Cysteine
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Water • Methylpropanediol • Glycerin • 1,2-Hexanediol • Butylene Glycol • Polyglycerin-3 • Caprylic Acid • Niacinamide • Propylheptyl Caprylate • Water • Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer • Xanthan Gum • Sodium Citrate • Ethylhexylglycerin • Citric Acid • Carbomer • Glyceryl Polymethacrylate • Disodium EDTA • Adenosine • Tromethamine • Polyquaternium-51 • Sodium Hyaluronate • Avena Sativa Kernel Extract • Beta-Glucan • Hydrogenated Lecithin • Cynara Scolymus Leaf Extract • Pteris Multifida Extract • Dextrin • Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract • Dipropylene Glycol • Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract • Tocopherol • Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract • Glutathione • Pinus Pinaster Bark Extract
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycerinNeogen Dermalogy Real Ferment Micro Essence contains this as ingredient number 6.
Acwell Licorice Ph Balancing Advance Serum contains this as ingredient number 3.
Dipropylene Glycol is a synthetically created stabilizer and solvent. It is a part of the glycol class in the alcohol family.
Dipropylene Glycol helps dissolve and evenly distribute ingredients. It also helps decrease viscosity and thin out texture.
As a masking agent, Dipropylene Glycol can be used to cover the smell of other ingredients. However, it does not have a scent.
Studies show Dipropylene Glycol is considered safe to use in skincare.
Learn more about Dipropylene GlycolNeogen Dermalogy Real Ferment Micro Essence contains this as ingredient number 7.
Acwell Licorice Ph Balancing Advance Serum contains this as ingredient number 30.
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 WaterNeogen Dermalogy Real Ferment Micro Essence contains this as ingredient number 9.
Acwell Licorice Ph Balancing Advance Serum contains this as ingredient number 10.
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.
Neogen Dermalogy Real Ferment Micro Essence contains this as ingredient number 12.
Acwell Licorice Ph Balancing Advance Serum contains this as ingredient number 14.
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.
As an emulsifier, Tromethamine prevents oil and water ingredients from separating. This helps stabilize the product and elongate a product's shelf life. Tromethamine also makes a product thicker.
Tromethamine helps balance the pH level of a product. Normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5). The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome. Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.
Oral Tromethanmine is an anti-inflammatory drug but plays the role of masking, adding fragrance, and/or balancing pH in skincare.
1,3-Propanediol, 2-amino-2-(hydroxymethyl)-
Learn more about TromethamineNeogen Dermalogy Real Ferment Micro Essence contains this as ingredient number 19.
Acwell Licorice Ph Balancing Advance Serum contains this as ingredient number 20.
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.
Neogen Dermalogy Real Ferment Micro Essence contains this as ingredient number 20.
Acwell Licorice Ph Balancing Advance Serum contains this as ingredient number 4.
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.
Neogen Dermalogy Real Ferment Micro Essence contains this as ingredient number 23.
Acwell Licorice Ph Balancing Advance Serum contains this as ingredient number 5.
Hydrogenated Lecithin is created from the hydrogenation of lecithin. Hydrogenation is a chemical reaction between molecule hydrogen and another element.
Hydrogenated Lecithin is an emollient and emulsifier. As an emollient, it helps soften skin by trapping moisture within.
The phospholipids in Hydrogenated Lecithin can produce liposomes. Liposomes help other ingredients get through the skin barrier to be better absorbed.
As an emulsifier, it prevents oil and water ingredients from separating.
Learn more about Hydrogenated LecithinNeogen Dermalogy Real Ferment Micro Essence contains this as ingredient number 27.
Acwell Licorice Ph Balancing Advance Serum contains this as ingredient number 25.
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 HyaluronateNeogen Dermalogy Real Ferment Micro Essence contains this as ingredient number 29.
Acwell Licorice Ph Balancing Advance Serum contains this as ingredient number 22.
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 AdenosineNeogen Dermalogy Real Ferment Micro Essence contains this as ingredient number 30.
Acwell Licorice Ph Balancing Advance Serum contains this as ingredient number 19.
Niacinamide has emerged as an all-star ingredient due to its many benefits.
It is known to treat acne by reducing inflammation. It also helps fade dark-spots and strengthen the skin by promoting the growth of the ceramide barrier.
Other benefits include smoothing wrinkles and minimizing redness.
The cherry on top? Niacinamide can also help build keratin, a protein that keeps skin firm.
When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
Niacinamide can be mixed with other ingredients to boost benefits. For instance, it has shown to be effective when used with copper, folic acid, and zinc to treat acne.
Learn more about NiacinamideNeogen Dermalogy Real Ferment Micro Essence contains this as ingredient number 31.
Acwell Licorice Ph Balancing Advance Serum contains this as ingredient number 8.
Dextrin is used to thicken a product and helps bind ingredients together. It is created from starch and glycogen.
As an emulsifier, dextrin prevents ingredients from separating. This helps elongate a product's shelf life.
Studies show coating UV filters with dextrin prevents these ingredients from being absorbed. This helps UV ingredients last longer on the skin.
Learn more about DextrinNeogen Dermalogy Real Ferment Micro Essence contains this as ingredient number 32.
Acwell Licorice Ph Balancing Advance Serum contains this as ingredient number 28.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Neogen Dermalogy Real Ferment Micro Essence 49 ingredients
Acwell Licorice Ph Balancing Advance Serum 35 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Neogen Dermalogy Real Ferment Micro Essence 49 ingredients
Acwell Licorice Ph Balancing Advance Serum 35 ingredients
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