Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Sk-II Facial Treatment Essence (Pitera Essence) Original versus Kiehl's Calendula Herbal Extract Alcohol Free Toner .
Last updated on November 20, 2023. Published on October 04, 2020
Overview
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, oils, silicones or sulfates
What's Inside
They both contain parabens
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.
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
Ingredient Info
Sk-II Facial Treatment Essence (Pitera Essence) 7 ingredients
Kiehl's Calendula Herbal Extract Alcohol Free Toner 12 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 🎉
Contains Parabens
Ingredients in this product that are types of parabens:
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Malassezia Safe
This product is free of malassezia feeding ingredients 🎉
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 😥
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Sk-II Facial Treatment Essence (Pitera Essence) 7 ingredients
Kiehl's Calendula Herbal Extract Alcohol Free Toner 12 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 2 ingredients 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:
Concerns
This product contains 2 ingredients 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
Kiehl's Calendula Herbal Extract Alcohol Free Toner 12 ingredients
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.
Pentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can help thicken or emulsify a product. Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. It does this by preventing certain ingredients from separating.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolSk-II Facial Treatment Essence (Pitera Essence) Original contains this as ingredient number 3.
Kiehl's Calendula Herbal Extract Alcohol Free Toner contains this as ingredient number 3.
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.
Kiehl's Calendula Herbal Extract Alcohol Free Toner contains this as ingredient number 1.
Methylparaben is a preservative and is a paraben. It is used to prevent the growth of fungus, mold, and other harmful bacteria. Parabens are chemicals used as preservatives in both cosmetics and food.
Methylparaben can be synthetically created. It can also be found naturally in some fruits, such as blueberries.
Oftentimes, Methylparaben is combined with other parabens to help increase the shelf life.
The safety of Methylparaben is currently being studied. While ongoing studies are looking into the safety of parabens, the results have been very mixed. Some studies have not found Methylparaben to be harmful.
Learn more about MethylparabenSk-II Facial Treatment Essence (Pitera Essence) Original contains this as ingredient number 6.
Kiehl's Calendula Herbal Extract Alcohol Free Toner contains this as ingredient number 4.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Sk-II Facial Treatment Essence (Pitera Essence) 7 ingredients
Kiehl's Calendula Herbal Extract Alcohol Free Toner 12 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
Kiehl's Calendula Herbal Extract Alcohol Free Toner 12 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.
Kiehl's Calendula Herbal Extract Alcohol Free Toner 12 ingredients
Alternatives
Our Dupe Finder has found 21 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Sk-II Facial Treatment Essence (Pitera Essence) Original.
See 21 alternativesOur Dupe Finder has found 3 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Kiehl's Calendula Herbal Extract Alcohol Free Toner.
See 3 alternatives