belif Problem Solution Vegan PHA Clearing Toner

What is this product?

belif's Problem Solution Vegan PHA Clearing Toner is a decent mild antibacterial toner sold under the wrong headline: the PHA on the label is gluconolactone at 1000ppm, which is 0.1 percent, so do not buy it to exfoliate. What actually works in it sits higher up, terpinen-4-ol seventh and totarol eighth with niacinamide sixth of 36 ingredients. Skip it if fragrance is your problem, because two essential oils and four declared allergens (limonene, citronellol, geraniol, linalool) close out the list, and belif's line copy still recommends it for sensitive skin.

What makes it different?

belif prints an amount for the acid it named the product after, 1000ppm of gluconolactone at position 21, and that disclosure is what shows the name to be thin: polyhydroxy acids resurface at one to two orders of magnitude above 0.1 percent, and the citric acid at 9 is paired with sodium citrate at 10 in the shape of a pH buffer rather than a second acid. The vegan certification body, 한국비건인증원, appears only on a price comparison listing and not on belif's own page for this product. The same page also prints a usage instruction telling you to lather it and rinse with lukewarm water, which is cleanser copy on a leave-on toner.

What is in it?

The full ingredient list as the brand publishes it, in the printed order. Each name links to what we know about that ingredient.

This brand publishes its ingredient list in Korean only. Names below are the matching INCI names from the Korean Cosmetic Association ingredient dictionary, except 3 with no dictionary entry, left in Korean.

Key ingredientWorth a closer look

• 「화장품법」에 따라 기재·표시하여야 하는 모든 성분 : 정제수
• Dipropylene Glycol
• Propanediol
• 1,2-Hexanediol
• Glycerin
• Niacinamide
• 4-터피네올+
• 토타롤+
• Citric Acid
• Sodium Citrate
• Sodium Hyaluronate
• Allantoin
• Melissa Officinalis Flower/Leaf/Stem Water
• Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Water
• Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Extract
• Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract
• Mentha Rotundifolia Leaf Extract
• Rosa Canina Fruit Extract
• Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Leaf Extract
• Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
• Gluconolactone
• Beta-Glucan
• Biosaccharide Gum-1
• Tocopherol
• Alcohol Denat.
• Butylene Glycol
• Sodium Polyacrylate
• Ethylhexylglycerin
• Trisodium EDTA
• PPG-13-Decyltetradeceth-24
• Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil
• Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
• Limonene
• Citronellol
• Geraniol
• Linalool

Ingredients with no mark are ones we found nothing notable about, and when marks overlap on one ingredient we show the caution first.

We could not place these in the list above: Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil

Did the ad claims hold up?

We checked 5 lines this product advertises against the ingredient list and public documents. One of them looks likely, though none are proven outright.

Claims translated from Korean, originals preserved.

Each line is quoted as the brand published it, and each one was read on its own against the ingredient list and the documents the brand publishes.

How we read these lines

Which articles cover it?

Articles on this site that write about this product.

• Vegan is a claim about sourcing, and the list cannot confirm itSix Korean products carry vegan in the name. No ingredient list prints the word, because it is not an ingredient. Here is what you can check yourself.
• What is PHA, and is it really the gentle acid?Gluconolactone appears on 90 Korean labels and five print a level. The research that made PHA interesting ran at 8 percent. Most labels print nothing.