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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of The Pure Lotus Lotus Leaf Essence versus COSRX Advanced Snail Radiance Dual Essence .

Last updated on July 18, 2023. Published on June 24, 2022

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe essences. They have a total of 9 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain niacinamide

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, 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, parabens, silicones or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain oils

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.

Essence South Korean Brand South Korea
Essence South Korean Brand South Korea

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.

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.

Price

Shop

Buy Lotus Leaf Essence

Starts at $30.60
Shop

Buy Advanced Snail Radiance Dual Essence

Starts at $22.04

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

Vitamin E
Niacinamide
Ceramides
Peptides

Benefits

Hydrating (4)
Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing (3)
Reduces Irritation (2)
Reduces Large Pores (2)
Anti-Aging (4)
Dark Spots
Scar Healing (2)
Acne Fighting (2)
Brightening (3)

Concerns

May Worsen Oily Skin
Irritating
Eczema (2)

Notable Ingredients

Niacinamide
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating (5)
Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing (4)
Reduces Irritation (4)
Reduces Large Pores
Dark Spots
Scar Healing
Acne Fighting
Brightening (2)

Concerns

May Worsen Oily Skin
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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: 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.

The Pure Lotus Lotus Leaf Essence contains this as ingredient number 2.

COSRX Advanced Snail Radiance Dual Essence contains this as ingredient number 4.

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.

The Pure Lotus Lotus Leaf Essence contains this as ingredient number 3.

COSRX Advanced Snail Radiance Dual Essence contains this as ingredient number 2.

3
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

The Pure Lotus Lotus Leaf Essence contains this as ingredient number 4.

COSRX Advanced Snail Radiance Dual Essence contains this as ingredient number 8.

4
What it does: Smoothing
Community Rating: Loved

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 Niacinamide

The Pure Lotus Lotus Leaf Essence contains this as ingredient number 5.

COSRX Advanced Snail Radiance Dual Essence contains this as ingredient number 3.

5
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.

The Pure Lotus Lotus Leaf Essence contains this as ingredient number 9.

COSRX Advanced Snail Radiance Dual Essence contains this as ingredient number 21.

6
What it does: Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming
Community Rating: Disliked

Carbomer is a polymer of acrylic acid. Its main role is to create gel consistency within products.

Carbomer is commonly found in many types of cosmetics products. It is found to be safe in concentrations up to 15%. However, a high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Most products contain 1% of less of carbomer.

The Pure Lotus Lotus Leaf Essence contains this as ingredient number 11.

COSRX Advanced Snail Radiance Dual Essence contains this as ingredient number 12.

7
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

The Pure Lotus Lotus Leaf Essence contains this as ingredient number 13.

COSRX Advanced Snail Radiance Dual Essence contains this as ingredient number 7.

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

The Pure Lotus Lotus Leaf Essence contains this as ingredient number 14.

COSRX Advanced Snail Radiance Dual Essence contains this as ingredient number 19.

9
What it does: Emollient, Masking, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Disliked

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil is the oil derived from the seeds of a Sunflower. Sunflower seed oil is non-fragrant. It is an emollient, meaning it helps to soften the skin.

Sunflower seed oil contains many fatty acids. The fatty acids found in sunflower seeds include (from highest amount to least): linoleic acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, arachidic acid, oleic acid, and linolenic acid.

These fatty acids help the skin create ceramides. Ceramides play a role in repairing the skin barrier.

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil helps moisturize the skin. This in turn helps the skin look more rejuvenated and smoother.

Sunflowers are rich in vitamin E.

Historians believe Indigenous cultures of North America domesticated sunflowers before corn. Thus they relied on sunflower oil for a variety of uses. One such use is moisturizing skin and hair.

Sunflower seed oil may not be fungal acne safe. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have any concerns.

Learn more about Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

The Pure Lotus Lotus Leaf Essence contains this as ingredient number 38.

COSRX Advanced Snail Radiance Dual Essence contains this as ingredient number 10.

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

35% are loved or liked
19% have mixed ratings
33% are disliked or very disliked
14% have no rating yet
41% are loved or liked
32% have mixed ratings
18% are disliked or very disliked
9% 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

The Pure Lotus Lotus Leaf Essence 43 ingredients

Lotus Leaf Essence hasn't been rated yet.
Rate it now

COSRX Advanced Snail Radiance Dual Essence 22 ingredients

3.8 /5
from 6 ratings
Absorbs Well (1) Broke Me Out (1) Great Value (1) Hydrating (1) Sticky (1) Works Well (1)
feliceyuh_280's avatar

feliceyuh_280

10 months ago · Normal Skin
Review

great for post acne hyperpigmentations

Julesaus's avatar

Julesaus

8 months ago · Combination Skin
Review

Okay
I prefer the original Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence with my oily skin. This was too much for me.

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