Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Sk-II Facial Treatment Essence (Pitera Essence) Original versus DR's Secret Refining Serum 9 .
Last updated on November 20, 2023. Published on April 18, 2023
Overview
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for dry skin
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, 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.
Facial Treatment
Facial treatments are specially designed to treat a skin concern. Acne treatments and anti-aging products are common examples of facial treatments.
Ingredient Info
Sk-II Facial Treatment Essence (Pitera Essence) 7 ingredients
DR's Secret Refining Serum 9 36 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 🎉
Contains Parabens
Ingredients in this product that are types of parabens:
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Not Reef Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not reef safe:
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 🎉
Contains Fragrance
Ingredients in this product that are forms of fragrance:
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 😥
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Sk-II Facial Treatment Essence (Pitera Essence) 7 ingredients
DR's Secret Refining Serum 9 36 ingredients
Benefits
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Concerns
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Benefits
This product contains 1 ingredient 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:
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 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:
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.
Sk-II Facial Treatment Essence (Pitera Essence) 7 ingredients
DR's Secret Refining Serum 9 36 ingredients
Water • Butylene Glycol • Castanea Sativa Shell Extract • Peg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil • Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract • Cinnamomum Cassia Bark • Rhus Semialata Gall Extract • Caprylyl Glycol • Carbomer • Triethanolamine • Salix Alba Bark Extract • 1,2-Hexanediol • Allantoin • Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer • Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract • Yeast Ferment Extract • Ethylhexylglycerin • Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate • Mentha Haplocalix Extract • Menthyl Lactate • Glycerin • Hydrolyzed Albumen • Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract • Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract • Ethyl Hexanediol • Beta-Glucan • Benzyl Glycol • Cysteine • Cystine • Glutamic Acid • Methionine • Serine • Valine • Raspberry Ketone • Parfum • Phenoxyethanol
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.
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.
Sk-II Facial Treatment Essence (Pitera Essence) Original contains this as ingredient number 2.
DR's Secret Refining Serum 9 contains this as ingredient number 2.
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 WaterSk-II Facial Treatment Essence (Pitera Essence) Original contains this as ingredient number 4.
DR's Secret Refining Serum 9 contains this as ingredient number 1.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Sk-II Facial Treatment Essence (Pitera Essence) 7 ingredients
DR's Secret Refining Serum 9 36 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Sk-II Facial Treatment Essence (Pitera Essence) 7 ingredients
DR's Secret Refining Serum 9 36 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
Sk-II Facial Treatment Essence (Pitera Essence) 7 ingredients
420plaenit
IT'S EXPENSIVE BUT WORTH THE MONEY!!!!
I'm the kind of person who is willing to go all out and drop some money for good skincare if I know I will...
IT'S EXPENSIVE BUT WORTH THE MONEY!!!!
I'm the kind of person who is willing to go all out and drop some money for good skincare if I know I will use up every drop and love it. I've tried a lot of snail mucin products (my oily acne-prone skin LOVES it) and this one is different! I've tried the COSRX and the Peach Slices and both don't compare to this. Peach Slices have a similar texture while COSRX has a similar result to the SK-II. However, I will say that the SK-II got rid of all my redness and significantly improved my acne and every time I run out I always notice a difference in my skin whenever I don't have it in my routine. The price tag is a little intimidating but there are more reasonable options on Stylevana and Yesstyle.
KatrinaBedford
It seems to work v well for lots of people. It was a gift so I'm v upset it didn't work so well for me. It gave an amazing glow but irritated my...
It seems to work v well for lots of people. It was a gift so I'm v upset it didn't work so well for me. It gave an amazing glow but irritated my skin whenever I used it.
DR's Secret Refining Serum 9 36 ingredients
Alternatives
Our Dupe Finder has found 20 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Sk-II Facial Treatment Essence (Pitera Essence) Original.
See 20 alternativesOur Dupe Finder has found 7 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to DR's Secret Refining Serum 9.
See 7 alternatives