Avoskin Your Skin Bae Ultimate Hyaluron Hyacross 3% + Green Tea Versus Nutrishe Hydra Complex Soothing Serum
This hydrating serum is formulated around Hyaluronic Acid and Camellia Sinensis Extract to hydrate skin and calm redness.
This calming serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Tranexamic Acid to calm redness.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantNiacinamide
SmoothingTranexamic Acid
AstringentHouttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingSodium PCA
HumectantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin ConditioningDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
HumectantHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
HumectantPotassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningHydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningHyaluronic Acid
HumectantBeta-Glucan
Skin ConditioningDipeptide-2
Skin ConditioningAcetyl Tetrapeptide-5
HumectantMel Extract
MoisturisingPoria Cocos Extract
Skin ConditioningSerine
MaskingGlycogen
HumectantPolyacrylamide
Phenoxyethanol
PreservativeTrimethylpentanediol/Adipic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningC13-14 Isoparaffin
EmollientLaureth-7
EmulsifyingDMDM Hydantoin
Preservative1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningIodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
PreservativeWater, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Tranexamic Acid, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Polysorbate 20, Centella Asiatica Extract, Sodium PCA, Panthenol, Allantoin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Potassium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Beta-Glucan, Dipeptide-2, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, Mel Extract, Poria Cocos Extract, Serine, Glycogen, Polyacrylamide, Phenoxyethanol, Trimethylpentanediol/Adipic Acid Copolymer, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Laureth-7, DMDM Hydantoin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Xanthan Gum, Pentylene Glycol, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Reviews
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.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolGlycerin (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.
Learn more about GlycerinHyaluronic acid (HA) is a glycosaminoglycan (basically a long sugar chain) that your skin already makes on its own. In your skin, HA lives in the extracellular matrix and acts as the body's moisture reservoir.
Topically, HA is a humectant that binds water and helps skin look more plump, smooth, and hydrated.
The only catch is that HA isn't a single thing; it actually comes in a wide range of molecular weights (~50 - 2,000+ kDA) and size matters.
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
This is why the best HA serums blend the two sizes together so you get the best of both worlds.
The majority of cosmetic HA is produced by bacterial fermentation, typically using Streptococcus or Bacillus strains. Typical use levels in skincare sit around 0.1-2%.
A clinical study using a 0.2% low-molecular weight HA gel showed improvement in facial seborrheic dermatitis with excellent tolerance.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Learn more about Hyaluronic AcidPhenoxyethanol 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.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolWater. 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!
Learn more about WaterXanthan 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