VT Cosmetics VT Cica Skin Versus Isntree Chestnut AHA 8% Clear Essence

See how these products line up with your preferences

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of VT Cosmetics VT Cica Skin versus Isntree Chestnut AHA 8% Clear Essence .

Published on April 02, 2023

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe . They have a total of 13 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain hyaluronic acid

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin and reducing pores

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, oils, parabens, silicones or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain fragrances

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

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VT Cosmetics VT Cica Skin

Isntree Chestnut AHA 8% Clear Essence

Toner South Korean Brand

Essence South Korean Brand

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.

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 VT Cica Skin

Starts at $27.00

Shop

Buy Chestnut AHA 8% Clear Essence

Starts at $10.86

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.

VT Cosmetics VT Cica Skin 26 ingredients

Isntree Chestnut AHA 8% Clear Essence 36 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

VT Cosmetics VT Cica Skin 26 ingredients

Isntree Chestnut AHA 8% Clear Essence 36 ingredients

Notable Ingredients

PHA

Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating

Redness Reducing (3)

Reduces Irritation (3)

Reduces Large Pores

Anti-Aging

Acne Fighting (2)

Brightening

Concerns

Rosacea

Eczema

Notable Ingredients

AHA (2)

Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating

Good For Oily Skin

Redness Reducing (5)

Reduces Irritation (7)

Skin Texture (2)

Reduces Large Pores (3)

Anti-Aging (3)

Dark Spots (4)

Scar Healing (3)

Acne Fighting

Brightening (3)

Concerns

Irritating (2)

Rosacea (2)

Eczema

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Ingredients Compared

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

VT Cosmetics VT Cica Skin 26 ingredients

Isntree Chestnut AHA 8% Clear Essence 36 ingredients

Water • Glycerin • Butylene Glycol • 1,2-Hexanediol • Pentylene Glycol • C12-14 Pareth-12 • Carbomer • Ethylhexylglycerin • Tromethamine • Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer • Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract • Disodium EDTA • Parfum • Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract • Lactobionic Acid • Panthenol • Sodium Hyaluronate • Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract • Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract • Centella Asiatica Extract • Beta-Glucan • Propolis Extract • Asiaticoside • Madecassoside • Asiatic Acid • Madecassic Acid

Water • Glycerin • Butylene Glycol • Potassium Hydroxide • Portulaca Oleracea Extract • Sodium Hyaluronate • Glyceryl Caprylate • Panthenol • Madecassoside • Allantoin • 1,2-Hexanediol • Hydroxyethylcellulose • Lavandula Angustifolia Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract • Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder • Glycolic Acid 4% • Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract • Dextrin • Lactic Acid 4.02% • Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate • Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract • Sucrose Stearate • Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract • Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract • Asiaticoside • Glycereth-25 PCA Isostearate • Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine • Madecassic Acid • Ethylhexylglycerin • Centella Asiatica Extract • Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract • Castanea Crenata Shell Extract • Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract • Asiatic Acid • Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract • Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride • Cetearyl Alcohol

Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are

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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.

Water

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

VT Cosmetics VT Cica Skin contains this as ingredient number 1.

Isntree Chestnut AHA 8% Clear Essence contains this as ingredient number 1.

Glycerin

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

VT Cosmetics VT Cica Skin contains this as ingredient number 2.

Isntree Chestnut AHA 8% Clear Essence contains this as ingredient number 2.

Butylene Glycol

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.

VT Cosmetics VT Cica Skin contains this as ingredient number 3.

Isntree Chestnut AHA 8% Clear Essence contains this as ingredient number 3.

1,2-Hexanediol

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.

VT Cosmetics VT Cica Skin contains this as ingredient number 4.

Isntree Chestnut AHA 8% Clear Essence contains this as ingredient number 11.

Ethylhexylglycerin

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.

VT Cosmetics VT Cica Skin contains this as ingredient number 8.

Isntree Chestnut AHA 8% Clear Essence contains this as ingredient number 29.

Panthenol

What it does: Skin Conditioning

Community Rating: Loved

Panthenol (also referred to as pro-vitamin B5) is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin.

lt is a humectant, meaning that it helps the skin attract and retain moisture.

Another benefit is the anti-inflammatory abilities. This means that it's great for sensitive, irritation-prone skin.

Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.

Learn more about Panthenol

VT Cosmetics VT Cica Skin contains this as ingredient number 16.

Isntree Chestnut AHA 8% Clear Essence contains this as ingredient number 8.

Sodium Hyaluronate

What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning

Community Rating: Loved

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 Hyaluronate

VT Cosmetics VT Cica Skin contains this as ingredient number 17.

Isntree Chestnut AHA 8% Clear Essence contains this as ingredient number 6.

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

What it does: Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, Astringent, Emollient, Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Tonic

Community Rating: Loved

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract is derived from the leaves of the tea plant. Black tea, green tea, and oolong tea are all harvested from this plant.

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract has many benefits. It contains polyphenols, a strong antioxidant. Antioxidants help fight off free-radical molecules that damage skin cells. The antioxidants in green tea neutralize free-radicals from the sun. This gives the skin some extra UV protection, but should not replace sunscreen.

Many components of tea have anti-inflammatory properties. Polyphenols and L-theanine help soothe the skin and reduce irritation. L-theanine is an amino acid that makes up most of the amino acids found in tea leaves. The caffeine in Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract helps calm inflamed blood vessels.

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract also contains Vitamin Bs, linoleic acid, magnesium, calcium, iron, and zinc.

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract also has antimicrobial properties.

Research has shown both drinking Camellia Sinensis Leaf Tea and applying it to the skin can help boost skin elasticity and hydration. Studies also show using tea extract may reduce sebum, or oil, production.

Learn more about Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

VT Cosmetics VT Cica Skin contains this as ingredient number 18.

Isntree Chestnut AHA 8% Clear Essence contains this as ingredient number 22.

Centella Asiatica Extract

What it does: Cleansing, Skin Conditioning, Smoothing, Soothing, Tonic

Community Rating: Loved

Centella Asiatica Extract is derived from an herb plant native to Southeast Asia. It is rich in antioxidants and amino acids. In skincare products, Centella Asiatica Extract is used for its anti-inflammatory and soothing properties.

Many active components found in Centella Asiatica Extract, such as Madecassic Acid and Asiaticoside, encourage the skin to naturally produce hyaluronic acid. This helps keep our skin hydrated. Many of these components also show antioxidant activity and may help reduce the signs of aging.

Research shows Centella Asiatica can help increase Type I collagen production by increasing fibroblast production. Fibroblast helps form connective tissue.

The combination of all these properties makes Centella Asiatica Extract effective at soothing the skin.

Other components of Centella Asiatic Extract include Vitamin A, vitamin C, several B vitamins, and Asiatic Acid.

Recent studies found madecassoside may help prevent damage from UV rays by preventing UV-induced inflammation. Further research is needed.

This plant has been used as a medicine and in food for many centuries. As a medicine, it is used to treat burns, scratches, and wounds.

Learn more about Centella Asiatica Extract

VT Cosmetics VT Cica Skin contains this as ingredient number 20.

Isntree Chestnut AHA 8% Clear Essence contains this as ingredient number 30.

Asiaticoside

What it does: Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning

Community Rating: Loved

Asiaticoside comes from the super popular skin-soothing ingredient, Centella asiatica. It is one of four active compounds found in the extract of Centella Asiatica.

Asiaticoside is an antioxidant and helps with wound healing. It has been shown to increase antioxidant activity during the wound healing process.

VT Cosmetics VT Cica Skin contains this as ingredient number 23.

Isntree Chestnut AHA 8% Clear Essence contains this as ingredient number 25.

Madecassoside

What it does: Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning

Community Rating: Loved

Madecassoside comes from the super popular skin-soothing ingredient, Centella asiatica. It is one of four active compounds found in the extract of Centella Asiatica.

Madecassoside has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and hydrating properties. It contains fatty acids, amino acids, beta-carotene, and phytochemicals.

One study found using Madecassoside with ascorbic acid helped reduce the signs of aging and improved skin hydration.

Learn more about Madecassoside

VT Cosmetics VT Cica Skin contains this as ingredient number 24.

Isntree Chestnut AHA 8% Clear Essence contains this as ingredient number 9.

Asiatic Acid

What it does: Skin Conditioning, Stabilising

Community Rating: Loved

Asiatic Acid is a major component of Centella Asiatica Extract. It has wound-healing, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties.

Studies show Asiatic Acid is able to block the pathway for skin inflammation receptors, helping to soothe skin.

As an antioxidant, asiatic acid helps protect our skin against damaging environmental factors.

Learn more about Asiatic Acid

VT Cosmetics VT Cica Skin contains this as ingredient number 25.

Isntree Chestnut AHA 8% Clear Essence contains this as ingredient number 34.

Madecassic Acid

What it does: Skin Conditioning

Community Rating: Loved

Madecassic Acid is a major component of Centella Asiatica Extract. It has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

It is a triterpenoid, meaning it naturally acts as an antioxidant. Antioxidants protect your skin against damage from environmental factors such as pollution and UV.

Studies show Madecassic Acid helps soothe the skin due to its ability to block inflammation pathways.

Learn more about Madecassic Acid

VT Cosmetics VT Cica Skin contains this as ingredient number 26.

Isntree Chestnut AHA 8% Clear Essence contains this as ingredient number 28.

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