Biologique Recherche Crème PIGM 400 Brightening and Pigment Spot-Correcting Face Cream Versus Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Cream Classic

Biologique Recherche Crème PIGM 400 Brightening and Pigment Spot-Correcting Face Cream Versus Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Cream Classic

This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Squalane and Panax Ginseng Root Extract to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Coco-Caprylate

Butylene Glycol

Sodium Acrylates Copolymer

Pentylene Glycol

Lactobacillus/Wasabia Japonica Root Ferment Extract

Mica

Hydrolyzed Prunus Domestica

Soy Isoflavones

Lepidium Sativum Sprout Extract

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Biosaccharide Gum-4

Alteromonas Ferment Filtrate

Vibrio Alginolyticus Ferment Filtrate

Dimethylmethoxy Chromanyl Palmitate

Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol

Lecithin

Glycerin

Tocopherol

Titanium Dioxide

Magnesium Aluminum Silicate

Polysorbate 80

Alcohol Denat.

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Coco-Caprylate, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Pentylene Glycol, Lactobacillus/Wasabia Japonica Root Ferment Extract, Mica, Hydrolyzed Prunus Domestica, Soy Isoflavones, Lepidium Sativum Sprout Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Biosaccharide Gum-4, Alteromonas Ferment Filtrate, Vibrio Alginolyticus Ferment Filtrate, Dimethylmethoxy Chromanyl Palmitate, Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol, Lecithin, Glycerin, Tocopherol, Titanium Dioxide, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Polysorbate 80, Alcohol Denat., Phenoxyethanol

Dimethicone

Triethylhexanoin

Squalane

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene

1,2-Hexanediol

Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Cetearyl Olivate

Cetearyl Alcohol

Methoxy PEG-114/Polyepsilon Caprolactone

Sorbitan Olivate

Glyceryl Stearate

Stearic Acid

Palmitic Acid

Arachidyl Alcohol

Behenyl Alcohol

Parfum

Hydrolyzed Ginseng Saponins

Glyceryl Caprylate

Arachidyl Glucoside

Sorbitan Isostearate

Polysorbate 60

Ethylhexylglycerin

Disodium EDTA

Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Linalool

Panax Ginseng Root Extract

Dextrin

Theobroma Cacao Extract

Sodium Chloride

Honey

Limonene

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Rehmannia Glutinosa Root Extract

Panax Ginseng Flower Extract

Paeonia Lactiflora Root Extract

Lilium Candidum Bulb Extract

Polygonatum Odoratum Rhizome Extract

Myristic Acid

Arachidic Acid

Glucose

Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract

Phytosphingosine

Sodium Polyaspartate

Caprylyl Glycol

Sodium Methyl Stearoyl Taurate

Acetyl Heptapeptide-4

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Sodium Hydroxide

Acetyl Octapeptide-3

Water, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Triethylhexanoin, Squalane, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, 1,2-Hexanediol, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Cetearyl Olivate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Methoxy PEG-114/Polyepsilon Caprolactone, Sorbitan Olivate, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Arachidyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Parfum, Hydrolyzed Ginseng Saponins, Glyceryl Caprylate, Arachidyl Glucoside, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbitan Isostearate, Polysorbate 60, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Linalool, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Dextrin, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Sodium Chloride, Honey, Limonene, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Rehmannia Glutinosa Root Extract, Panax Ginseng Flower Extract, Paeonia Lactiflora Root Extract, Lilium Candidum Bulb Extract, Polygonatum Odoratum Rhizome Extract, Myristic Acid, Arachidic Acid, Glucose, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Phytosphingosine, Sodium Polyaspartate, Caprylyl Glycol, Tocopherol, Sodium Methyl Stearoyl Taurate, Acetyl Heptapeptide-4, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Sodium Hydroxide, Acetyl Octapeptide-3

Alternatives

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:

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

Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.

Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.

Topically, glycerin does several things at once:

Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.

Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.

This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.

Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).

It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.

On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.

Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).

You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.

Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.

Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.

Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.

Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.

You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.

Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.

It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.

This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.

This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.

In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.

Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.

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. Remember to stay hydrated!

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