Versus
Serum
Serum
British United Kingdom
American United States

What's inside

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Show highlights for:

Water

Skin Conditioning

Pentylene Glycol

Skin Conditioning

Hamamelis Virginiana Extract

Antiseborrhoeic
Can worsen Dry Skin IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Glycerin

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps brighten skin IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Dimethyl Sulfone

Solvent
Helps fight Acne IconGood for Oily Skin Icon

Human Umbilical Mesenchymal Stem Cell Exosomes

Skin Conditioning

Alpha-Arbutin

Antioxidant
Arbutin IconAntioxidant IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Dark Spots Icon

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5

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

Ergothioneine

Antioxidant
Antioxidant IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Dark Spots Icon

Dipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline

Skin Conditioning
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Ubiquinone

Antioxidant
Antioxidant IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Dark Spots Icon

Saccharomyces Ferment Lysate Filtrate

Skin Conditioning

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Antioxidant
Vitamin C IconAntioxidant IconHelps brighten skin IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Skin Texture Icon

Sh-Oligopeptide-1

Skin Conditioning
Peptide IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Rh-Polypeptide-3

Skin Conditioning
Peptide Icon

Sh-Polypeptide-9

Skin Conditioning
Peptide Icon

Sh-Polypeptide-1

Skin Conditioning
Peptide Icon

Sh-Polypeptide-11

Peptide IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Human Urine Derived Stem Cell Conditioned Media

Emollient

Glycereth-7 Triacetate

Emollient

Ethoxydiglycol

Humectant
0 / 0

Lactococcus Ferment Lysate

Skin Conditioning

Chlorella Vulgaris Extract

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Saccharide Isomerate

Humectant
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Tripeptide-2

Skin Conditioning
Peptide IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Dark Spots Icon

Dimer Tripeptide-43

Peptide Icon

Vitis Vinifera Flower Cell Extract

Masking

Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Hydroxyacetophenone

Antioxidant
Antioxidant IconHelps reduce irritation Icon

Tocopheryl Acetate

Antioxidant
0 / 0 Vitamin E IconAntioxidant Icon

Propanediol

Solvent
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Xanthan Gum

Emulsifying

Lecithin

Emollient
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Pullulan

Butylene Glycol

Humectant
1 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Sodium Citrate

Buffering

Polysorbate 20

Emulsifying
0 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate

Skin Conditioning

Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine

Skin Conditioning
Peptide IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

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

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

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

Acetyl Hexapeptide-51 Amide

Skin Conditioning
Peptide Icon

Nannochloropsis Oculata Extract

Humectant

Centella Asiatica Extract

Cleansing
Helps with Anti-Aging IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Chondrus Crispus Extract

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Equisetum Arvense Extract

Astringent

Geranium Maculatum Extract

Tonic

Taraxacum Officinale Root Extract

Skin Conditioning

Achillea Millefolium Flower Extract

Antioxidant
Antioxidant Icon

Curcuma Longa Rhizome Extract

Skin Conditioning

Spirulina Platensis Extract

Skin Protecting

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

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

Cassia Angustifolia Seed Polysaccharide

Skin Conditioning

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Emollient
0-2 / 0 Oil IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Barrier Repair IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Arginine

Masking
Good for Scar Healing IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Aspartic Acid

Masking
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Glycine

Buffering
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Alanine

Masking

Serine

Masking
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Valine

Masking

Isoleucine

Skin Conditioning

Proline

Skin Conditioning

Threonine

Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Histidine

Humectant
Helps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Phenylalanine

Masking
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

PCA

Humectant
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Sodium PCA

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Sodium Lactate

Buffering

Sodium Chloride

Masking
Bad for Acne Prone Skin IconCan worsen Dry Skin IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Carbomer

Emulsion Stabilising
1 / 0

Alcohol

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

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Emulsion Stabilising

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Emulsion Stabilising

Sodium Hydroxide

Buffering

Potassium Sorbate

Preservative
Preservative Icon

Sodium Benzoate

Masking
Preservative Icon

Dextran

Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Disodium EDTA

Phenoxyethanol

Preservative
Preservative Icon

Ethylhexylglycerin

Skin Conditioning

Water, Pentylene Glycol, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Glycerin, Dimethyl Sulfone, Human Umbilical Mesenchymal Stem Cell Exosomes, Alpha-Arbutin, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Ergothioneine, Dipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline, Ubiquinone, Saccharomyces Ferment Lysate Filtrate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Sh-Oligopeptide-1, Rh-Polypeptide-3, Sh-Polypeptide-9, Sh-Polypeptide-1, Sh-Polypeptide-11, Human Urine Derived Stem Cell Conditioned Media, Glycereth-7 Triacetate, Ethoxydiglycol, Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Saccharide Isomerate, Tripeptide-2, Dimer Tripeptide-43, Vitis Vinifera Flower Cell Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Hydroxyacetophenone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Propanediol, Xanthan Gum, Lecithin, Pullulan, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Citrate, Polysorbate 20, Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Acetyl Hexapeptide-51 Amide, Nannochloropsis Oculata Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Geranium Maculatum Extract, Taraxacum Officinale Root Extract, Achillea Millefolium Flower Extract, Curcuma Longa Rhizome Extract, Spirulina Platensis Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cassia Angustifolia Seed Polysaccharide, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Isoleucine, Proline, Threonine, Histidine, Phenylalanine, PCA, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Sodium Chloride, Carbomer, Alcohol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Dextran, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Masking, Skin Conditioning

Arginine is an amino acid that is important for human development. Your body uses is it to produce hair keratin and skin collagen.

As a cosmetic ingredient, Arginine has antioxidant properties and can also help repair damaged skin. This ingredient is derived either synthetically or from animals.

Arginine isn't fungal acne safe when used in the presence of other lipids (fats, fatty acids, oils, esters, etc). Oils and fats occur naturally within the skin, so take caution when using Arginine if you're prone to fungal acne.

Learn more about Arginine
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
Emollient, Emulsifying, Skin Conditioning

Lecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of mixture of phospholipids.

This ingredient has emollient and emulsifying properties.

As an emollient, lecithen helps soften the skin and creates a barrier to keep moisture in.

As an emulsifier, it also helps prevent water and oil ingredients from separating. Lecithin can also help ingredients be better absorbed by the skin.

This is because the phospholipids in lecithin produce liposomes. Liposomes help other ingredients get through the skin barrier.

Depending on the source of this ingredient, lecithin may not be fungal acne safe. This is because some sources of lecithin come from soybean oil, which may feed the malassezia yeast that feeds fungal acne.

We recommend reaching out to the brand you are purchasing from to inquire about the source of their lecithin.

Some other names for this ingredient include soy lecithin and deoiled soy lecithin.

Learn more about Lecithin
Masking, Skin Conditioning

Phenylalanine is an amino acid. It is a skin soothing and hydrating ingredient. Amino acids play a crucial role in wound healing and skin hydration.

This ingredient is also used to help even out skin tone due to its ability to disrupt the melanin production process.

Two structures of phenylalanine exist: L-phenylalanine and D-phenylalanine. L-phenylalanine is essential, this means our bodies cannot produce it naturally and we must get it from foods. Our bodies convert D-phenylalanine to neurotransmitters, and D-phenylalanine is found in our bodies naturally.

Some foods that contain L-phenylalanine include eggs, soybeans, beef, milk.

Learn more about Phenylalanine
Preservative

Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.

This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.

Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.

You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.

Learn more about Potassium Sorbate
Masking

Chances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt.

This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.

You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.

There is much debate on whether this ingredient is comedogenic. The short answer - comedogenic ratings don't tell the whole story. Learn more about comegodenic ratings here.

The concensus about this ingredient causing acne seems to be divided. Research is needed to understand if this ingredient does cause acne.

Scrubs may use salt as the primary exfoliating ingredient.

Learn more about Sodium Chloride
Buffering

Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.

In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.

Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.

"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.

Learn more about Sodium Hydroxide
Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning

Tocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.

One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.

Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.

Learn more about Tocopheryl Acetate
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
Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

Learn more about Xanthan Gum

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