Versus

The Saem Royal Natural Horse Oil Cream Versus The Saem Gold Lifting Cream

General Moisturizer
General Moisturizer
Korean Brand South Korea
Korean Brand South Korea

Overview

What they are

These products are both general moisturizers. They have a total of 20 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain ceramides 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 common allergens, parabens or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain harsh alcohols, fragrances, oils and silicones

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

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and see relevant ingredients

About this product

About this product

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

found in both products
Royal Natural Horse Oil Cream
Gold Lifting Cream

Water

Skin Conditioning

Glycerin

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Dipropylene Glycol

Masking

Cyclomethicone

Emollient
0 / 0 Silicon Icon

Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin)

Emollient

Cetearyl Alcohol

Emollient
2 / 1 Fatty Alcohol IconMay worsen Oily Skin IconBad for Acne Prone Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Masking

Triethylhexanoin

Masking

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconMay worsen Oily Skin IconBad for Acne Prone Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

1,2-Hexanediol

Skin Conditioning

Niacinamide

Smoothing
Niacinamide IconGood for Oily Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Scar Healing IconHelps fight Acne IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract

Skin Conditioning

Cetearyl Glucoside

Emulsifying

Glyceryl Stearate Se

Emulsifying
3 / 2 Bad for Acne Prone Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Phellinus Linteus Extract

Skin Conditioning

Arctium Lappa Root Extract

Skin Conditioning

Piper Methysticum Leaf/Root/Stem Extract

Skin Conditioning

Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract

Skin Conditioning

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Emulsifying

Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil

Emollient
Oil IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Sodium Hyaluronate

Humectant
0 / 0 Hyaluronic Acid Icon

Butylene Glycol

Humectant
1 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

C12-13 Pareth-23

Cleansing

Divinyldimethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer

Dimethicone

Emollient
1 / 0 Silicon Icon

Squalane

Emollient
1 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

C12-16 Alcohols

Emollient

Glyceryl Stearate

Emollient
1 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Cetearyl Olivate

Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Sorbitan Olivate

Emulsifying
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

PEG-100 Stearate

0 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Emulsion Stabilising

Microcrystalline Cellulose

Absorbent

Palmitic Acid

Emollient
2 / 0 May worsen Oily Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene

Emollient
1 / 2

C12-13 Pareth-3

Emulsifying

Acrylates Copolymer

Mica

Cosmetic Colorant
May worsen Eczema Icon

Titanium Dioxide

Cosmetic Colorant
0 / 0 Mineral UV Filter IconNon-Reef-Safe Icon

Betaine

Humectant
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Dark Spots Icon

Alcohol Denat.

Antimicrobial
Alcohol IconCan worsen Dry Skin IconMay worsen Oily Skin IconMay cause irritation IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Polysorbate 60

Emulsifying
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Polyquaternium-51

Skin Conditioning

Glycosyl Trehalose

Emulsion Stabilising

Isononyl Isononanoate

Emollient

Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate

Skin Conditioning
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Cellulose Gum

Emulsion Stabilising
0 / 0

Ethylhexylglycerin

Skin Conditioning

Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate

Humectant

Raffinose

Skin Conditioning

Biosaccharide Gum-1

Skin Conditioning

Stearic Acid

Cleansing
2-3 / 0 May worsen Oily Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Adenosine

Skin Conditioning
Good for Minimizing Pores IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate

Skin Conditioning
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Agar

Masking

Gellan Gum

Calcium Alginate

Masking

Disodium EDTA

Lecithin

Emollient

Carbomer

Emulsion Stabilising
1 / 0

Polysorbate 20

Emulsifying
0 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Propylene Glycol

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Panthenol

Skin Conditioning
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation Icon

Inulin Lauryl Carbamate

Emulsion Stabilising

Gold

Cosmetic Colorant

Vp/Polycarbamyl Polyglycol Ester

Caramel

Cosmetic Colorant

Hydrolyzed Sesame Protein Pg-Propyl Methylsilanediol

Skin Conditioning

Caprylyl Glycol

Emollient

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5

Skin Conditioning
Peptide IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Folic Acid

Skin Conditioning

Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Cleansing

Ceramide NP

Skin Conditioning
Ceramide IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps with Anti-Aging Icon

Cholesterol

Emollient
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Acacia Senegal Gum

Masking

Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2

Skin Conditioning
Peptide Icon

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

Skin Conditioning
Peptide IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Tromethamine

Buffering

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Humectant
Peptide IconHelps with Anti-Aging Icon

Parfum

Masking
Fragrance IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Phenoxyethanol

Preservative
Preservative Icon

CI 77491

Cosmetic Colorant

Water, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Cyclomethicone, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Triethylhexanoin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract, Cetearyl Glucoside, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Phellinus Linteus Extract, Arctium Lappa Root Extract, Piper Methysticum Leaf/Root/Stem Extract, Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Butylene Glycol, C12-13 Pareth-23, Divinyldimethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer, Dimethicone, Squalane, C12-16 Alcohols, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, PEG-100 Stearate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Palmitic Acid, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, C12-13 Pareth-3, Acrylates Copolymer, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Betaine, Alcohol Denat., Polysorbate 60, Polyquaternium-51, Glycosyl Trehalose, Isononyl Isononanoate, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Cellulose Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Raffinose, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Stearic Acid, Adenosine, Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Agar, Gellan Gum, Calcium Alginate, Disodium EDTA, Lecithin, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Propylene Glycol, Panthenol, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Gold, Vp/Polycarbamyl Polyglycol Ester, Caramel, Hydrolyzed Sesame Protein Pg-Propyl Methylsilanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Folic Acid, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Ceramide NP, Cholesterol, Acacia Senegal Gum, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Tromethamine, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, CI 77491

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Skin Conditioning, Solvent

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. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water
Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting

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
Masking, Solvent

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 Glycol
Emollient, Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising

Cetearyl alcohol is a mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is mainly used as an emulsifier. Emulsifiers help prevent the separation of oils and products. Due to its composition, it can also be used to thicken a product or help create foam.

Cetearyl alcohol is an emollient. Emollients help soothe and hydrate the skin by trapping moisture.

Studies show Cetearyl alcohol is non-toxic and non-irritating. The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.

This ingredient is usually derived from plant oils such as palm, vegetable, or coconut oils. There is debate on whether this ingredient will cause acne.

Due to the fatty acid base, this ingredient may not be Malassezia folliculitis safe.

Learn more about Cetearyl Alcohol
Skin Conditioning

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter is a plant lipid from the fruit of the Shea Tree. It is an effective skin hydrator and emollient.

Emollients help soothe and soften your skin. It does this by creating a protective film on your skin. This barrier helps trap moisture and keeps your skin hydrated. Emollients may be effective at treating dry or itchy skin.

Shea butter is rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals, or molecules that may harm the body. It is also full of fatty acids including stearic acid and linoleic acid. These acids help replenish the skin and keep skin moisturized.

While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.

Shea butter may not be fungal acne safe. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have any concerns.

Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Emollient, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting

Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz.

What it does:

Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:

Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.

Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.

This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.

Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.

Learn more about Dimethicone
Smoothing

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
Emollient, Emulsifying

Glyceryl Stearate is a mix of glycerin and stearic acid.

It is used to stabilize the mixing of water and oil ingredients. By preventing these ingredients from separating, it can help elongate shelf life. It can also help thicken the product's texture.

As an emollient, it helps soften skin and supports barrier-replenishing ingredients.

In cosmetics, Glyceryl Stearate is often made from vegetable oils or synthetically produced.

This ingredient may not be fungal-acne safe

Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.

Learn more about Glyceryl Stearate

Peg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. As an emollient, it helps keep skin soft by trapping moisture in. On the other hand, emulsifiers help prevent oil and water from separating in a product.

PEGS are a hydrophilic polyether compound . There are 100 ethylene oxide monomers in Peg-100 Stearate. Peg-100 Stearate is polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid.

Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning

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.
  • It has mild preservative properties.

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.

Emulsifying

Polysorbate 60 is used to help stabilize products. It is a surfactant and emulsifier. These properties help keep ingredients together in a product. Surfactants help reduce surface tension between ingredients with different states, such as liquids and solids. Emulsifiers help prevent oils and waters from separating.

Polysorbate 60 is sorbitol-based and created from the ethoxylation of sorbitan. Ethoxylation is a chemical reaction used to add ethylene oxide. Sorbitan is a the dehydrated version of sorbitol, a sugar found in fruits.

In this case, the 60 comes from reacting 60 units of ethylene oxide with sorbitan.

Polysorbates are commonly used in medicine and foods.

Learn more about Polysorbate 60
Skin Conditioning, Solvent

1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse. 

It is a:

  • Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
  • Emollient, helping to soften skin
  • Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
  • Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives 
Preservative

Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.

It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.

Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming

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

A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.

Emulsifying, Skin Conditioning

Hydrogenated Lecithin is created from the hydrogenation of lecithin (a group of phospholipids). Hydrogenation is a chemical reaction between hydrogen and another element.

This ingredient is an emollient and emulsifier. As an emollient, it helps soften skin by trapping moisture within. As an emulsifier, it prevents oil and water ingredients from separating.

Masking, Skin Conditioning

This ingredient is an emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.

It helps thicken a product's formula and makes it easier to spread by dissolving clumping compounds.

Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid.

While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this.

Learn more about Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Skin Conditioning

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 Adenosine

Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.

It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.

Disodium EDTA is a salt of edetic acid and is found to be safe in cosmetic ingredients.

Learn more about Disodium EDTA
Antimicrobial, Astringent, Masking

Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.

This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying - mostly due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue, constricting pores and leaving your skin dried out.

However, alcohol denat. is not all that bad.

Due to its low molecular weight, alcohol denat. tends to evaporate quickly. One study on pig skin found half of applied alcohol evaporated in 10 seconds and less than 3% stayed on skin.

This also helps other ingredients become better absorbed upon application.

Studies are conflicted about whether this ingredient causes skin dehydration. One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased skin dryness and irritation. Another study found irritation only occurs if your skin is already damaged.

Small amounts of alcohol are generally tolerated by oily skin or people who live in humid environments.

The rule of thumb is if this alcohol is near the end of an ingredients list, it will probably not affect your skin much.

Also...

This ingredient has antimicrobial and solvent properties.

The antimicrobial property helps preserve products and increase their shelf life. As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients.

Other types of astringent alcohols include:

Learn more about Alcohol Denat.
Masking, Perfuming

Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.

Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.

For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.

The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.

For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.

One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.

Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.

Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.

The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.

Learn more about Parfum

When to use