Works for:
based on ingredients and %- Moisturizing
- Anti-oxidation
Can it cause trouble?
- Irritation risk: high
- Comedogenic risk ingredients: 1
Key actives
Product Summary
Judging from the ingredient list, "The History of Whoo - Gongjinhyang Essential Moisturizing Balancer" works well for improving skin hydration To work well, any moisturizer needs to include a combination of water-binding and emollient ingredients. The History of Whoo - Gongjinhyang Essential Moisturizing Balancer ticks this box. Humectants in this product (panthenol, betaine, glycerin, sodium hyaluronate and trehalose) help to increase the water content in the upper layer of the skin. (These ingredients do so by "capturing" water molecules from the outside air or from within the deeper layers of the skin). Emollients in this formulation (glyceryl stearate and behenyl alcohol) help to reduce the moisture loss from the skin. They also soften the skin surface and relieve the feeling of dryness and tightness.
Ingredient callouts
- Panthenol (pro-vitamin B5) at about 1.50% - 1.80% concentration. In this concentration, Panthenol works effectively to improve the skin barrier and reduce inflammation.
Irritation risk
There are quite a few common irritants in this product, including ingredients without particular skin benefits. We would not recommend it for sensitive skin. We assess the overall irritancy of this moisturizer to be high. For a detailed overview of all potential irritants: click here
You can see the detailed formula review with the breakdown of all actives in the product and the full ingredient list with estimated concentrations in the tables below.
Price
The product retails for 99.00A$ in Australia and at around 45.36$ in the United States.
For a detailed price comparison: click here.
Works for
Moisturizing
What does the product description say?
Gongjinhyang Essential Moisturizing Balancer
Source: From product name
This product contains good ingredients to attract water to the upper layer of the skin. These ingredients are called "humectants": betaine, glycerin.
When humectants are on the surface of the skin, they “pull in” the moisture from the outside environment, or from within deeper layers of the skin. If the air is dry, humectants can speed up the moisture loss from the skin. This is why it is a good idea to use another product on top of this one to help "seal in" the moisture (look for ingredients like dimethicone, squalane, oils and butters).
The following ingredients in this product are especially good for supporting the skin barrier and helping with the hydration level: panthenol
Helps attract water to the upper layer of the skin and can help improve skin barrier function
Helps attract water to the upper layer of the skin
One of the best moisturizing ingredients. Naturally present in skin. It attracts water to the upper layer of the skin working as a humectant
Helps attract water to the upper layer of the skin and improves the product texture
One of the best moisturizing ingredients. Attracts water into the upper layer of the skin
A sugar that attracts water to the upper layer of the skin
Helps soften the upper layer of the skin and might as well help to attract moisture to its upper layer
A yeast extract that can help neutralize free radicals in skin and can help attract water to its upper layers
A fermentation product created by bacteria Lactobacillus out of soybean. The fermented product helps to attract water to the upper layer of the skin and has anti-bacterial properties. It might be helpful in calming down inflammation and could be helpful in evening out skin tone, but studies are lacking
Helps attract water to the upper layer of the skin and soften it
An emollient that softens the skin and forms a protective layer on its surface. Helps water and oil mix together
Used to create a nice product texture and help delivery of other ingredients. Might be somewhat helpful in attracting water to the upper layer of the skin
Non-drying alcohol that helps water and oil mix together. Also serves as an emollient
A good mix of fatty acids that forms a protective layer on the skin. Improves the shelf life of products. Derived from coconut and glycerin
Can contain potent anti-oxidant compounds (abbreviated ECG, GCG, EGC, and EGCG) that might help protect the skin from free radicals. Can help calm down inflammation and has some anti-bacterial properties. Unfortunately, these antioxidants are unstable and lose their effectiveness very quickly in products. The concentration of the antioxidant compounds in the extract also tends to be low to be effective in topical formulation
Anti-oxidation
This product contains antioxidants (saccharomyces/barley seed ferment filtrate) that might be able to help neutralize free radicals in skin to lessen the damage it gets from the UV light (sun). There is not enough evidence to confirm their effectiveness in skin though.
A yeast extract that can help neutralize free radicals in skin and can help attract water to its upper layers
Can contain potent anti-oxidant compounds (abbreviated ECG, GCG, EGC, and EGCG) that might help protect the skin from free radicals. Can help calm down inflammation and has some anti-bacterial properties. Unfortunately, these antioxidants are unstable and lose their effectiveness very quickly in products. The concentration of the antioxidant compounds in the extract also tends to be low to be effective in topical formulation
A plant extract that might have some anti-inflammatory properties, but solid evidence is lacking. It can be irritating
How honest is this product?
| Promise | Can it deliver? |
|---|---|
| Moisturizing |
Total Promises Fulfilled score: 100/100.
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Potential irritants
Comedogenic ingredients
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| Product | Similarity | Price | Irritancy |
|---|---|---|---|
 The History of Whoo Gongjinhyang Essential Moisturizing Balancer | Current | $45.72 | |
Hanskin Seven Layer Ceramide Cream | 54% | $32.00 | |
 TOSOWOONG Dexpanthenol Cream | 54% | $19.10 | |
THE FACE SHOP Rice & Ceramide Moisture Emulsion | 54% | $10.50 | |
 MD Complete by Dr. Brian Zelickson Deep Moisturizer | 53% | $39.99 | |
 M-61 Major Moisture! | 53% | - |
Key Actives
Potential irritants
Comedogenic ingredients
All ingredients
Ingredient list view
Water, Unknown, Alcohol, Dipropylene glycol, Hexane, Sodium hyaluronate, Methyl gluceth-20, Betaine, Trehalose, Panthenol, Glycerin, Angelica acutiloba root extract, Zea mays starch, Unknown, Ficin, Velvet extract, Thymus vulgaris extract, Chaenomeles sinensis fruit extract, Diospyros kaki leaf extract, Cinnamomum cassia bark extract, Artemisia princeps leaf extract, Chrysanthemum indicum extract, Camellia sinensis leaf extract, Panax ginseng root extract, Polygonum multiflorum root extract, Polygonatum officinale rhizome/root extract, Asparagus cochinchinensis root extract, Cordyceps sinensis extract, Ganoderma lucidum extract, Lactobacillus/soybean ferment extract, Saccharomyces/potato extract ferment filtrate, Saccharomyces/barley seed ferment filtrate, Peg-40 hydrogenated castor oil, Acrylates/c10-30 alkyl acrylate crosspolymer, Xanthan gum, Theobroma grandiflorum seed butter, Hydrogenated lecithin, Peg-100 stearate, Peg-10 phytosterol, Caprylic/capric triglyceride, Butylene glycol, Glyceryl stearate, Glycolipids, Behenyl alcohol, Tromethamine, Trisodium edta, Parfum, Alpha-isomethyl ionone, Benzyl benzoate, Benzyl salicylate, Citral, Citronellol, Geraniol, Hydroxycitronellal, Limonene, Linalool
- Hyaluronic acid: A key molecule in skin aging
- Hyaluronan (Hyaluronic Acid): a natural moisturizer for skin care
- Skin moisturizing effects of panthenol-based formulations
- Safety Assessment of Panthenol, Pantothenic Acid, and Derivatives as Used in Cosmetics
- Glycerol and the skin: holistic approach to its origin and functions
- Ginseng in Dermatology: A Review
- Antiaging effects of the mixture of Panax ginseng and Crataegus pinnatifida in human dermal fibroblasts and healthy human skin
- Inhibition of inflammatory nitric oxide production and epidermis damages by Saccharomycopsis Ferment Filtrate
- Amended Safety Assessment of PEGylated Oils as Used in Cosmetics
- Advanced Skin Care – A Novel Ingredient
- Safety Assessment of Tromethamine as Used in Cosmetics
- Final report on the safety assessment of EDTA, calcium disodium EDTA, diammonium EDTA, dipotassium EDTA, disodium EDTA, TEA-EDTA, tetrasodium EDTA, tripotassium EDTA, trisodium EDTA, HEDTA, and trisodium HEDTA
- Annex I: Clinical evidence regarding sensitisation to individual fragrance chemicals and to natural extracts