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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Awake by Tarte Glow Pill Super Serum versus PCA Skin Hyaluronic Acid Boosting Serum .

Published on May 11, 2022

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe serums. They have a total of 11 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain hyaluronic acid and niacinamide

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin, oily skin, reducing pores and dark spots

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, parabens or sulfates

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.

Serum American Brand United States
Serum American Brand United States

Serum

Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.

Serum

Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.

Price

Shop

Buy Glow Pill Super Serum

Starts at $39.00
Shop

Buy Hyaluronic Acid Boosting Serum

Starts at $120.00

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Notable Ingredients

Vitamin E
Niacinamide
Hyaluronic Acid (4)

Benefits

Hydrating (2)
Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing (2)
Reduces Irritation (2)
Reduces Large Pores
Dark Spots
Acne Fighting
Brightening (4)

Notable Ingredients

Niacinamide
Ceramides (3)
Hyaluronic Acid (3)

Benefits

Hydrating (3)
Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing (3)
Reduces Irritation (2)
Skin Texture
Reduces Large Pores
Anti-Aging (3)
Dark Spots
Scar Healing
Acne Fighting
Brightening (3)

Concerns

Irritating
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Ingredients Compared

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

Water • Niacinamide • Propanediol • Glycerin • Glycereth-26 • 1,2-Hexanediol • Panthenol • C12-14 Pareth-12 • Carbomer • Caprylyl Glycol • Betaine • Trehalose • Ethylhexylglycerin • Acetyl Glucosamine • Sodium Hyaluronate • Disodium EDTA • Xylitol • Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid • Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate • Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer • Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate • Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans • Benzyl Glycol • Tocopherol • Hyaluronic Acid • Raspberry Ketone

Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

1
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

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. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

Awake by Tarte Glow Pill Super Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

PCA Skin Hyaluronic Acid Boosting Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Smoothing
Community Rating: Loved

Niacinamide has emerged as an all-star ingredient due to its many benefits.

It is known to treat acne by reducing inflammation. It also helps fade dark-spots and strengthen the skin by promoting the growth of the ceramide barrier.

Other benefits include smoothing wrinkles and minimizing redness.

The cherry on top? Niacinamide can also help build keratin, a protein that keeps skin firm.

When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.

Niacinamide can be mixed with other ingredients to boost benefits. For instance, it has shown to be effective when used with copper, folic acid, and zinc to treat acne.

Learn more about Niacinamide

Awake by Tarte Glow Pill Super Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.

PCA Skin Hyaluronic Acid Boosting Serum contains this as ingredient number 4.

3
What it does: Solvent
Community Rating: Liked

Propanediol helps absorb ingredients into your skin, boosting their benefits. It can act as an emollient, making your skin softer. Propanediol can help products last longer by boosting the properties of preservatives within the formulation.

Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use.

It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.

Learn more about Propanediol

Awake by Tarte Glow Pill Super Serum contains this as ingredient number 3.

PCA Skin Hyaluronic Acid Boosting Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.

4
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

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

Awake by Tarte Glow Pill Super Serum contains this as ingredient number 4.

PCA Skin Hyaluronic Acid Boosting Serum contains this as ingredient number 3.

5
What it does: Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming
Community Rating: Disliked

Carbomer is a polymer of acrylic acid. Its main role is to create gel consistency within products.

Carbomer is commonly found in many types of cosmetics products. It is found to be safe in concentrations up to 15%. However, a high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Most products contain 1% of less of carbomer.

Awake by Tarte Glow Pill Super Serum contains this as ingredient number 9.

PCA Skin Hyaluronic Acid Boosting Serum contains this as ingredient number 16.

6
What it does: Emollient, Humectant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.

It is a common ingredient in many products, especially those designed to hydrate skin. The primary benefits are retaining moisture, skin softening, and promoting a healthy skin barrier.

Though Caprylyl Glycol is an alcohol derived from fatty acids, it is not the kind that can dry out skin.

This ingredient is also used as a preservative to extend the life of products. It has slight antimicrobial properties.

Learn more about Caprylyl Glycol

Awake by Tarte Glow Pill Super Serum contains this as ingredient number 10.

PCA Skin Hyaluronic Acid Boosting Serum contains this as ingredient number 37.

7
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Mixed

Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.

You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.

Awake by Tarte Glow Pill Super Serum contains this as ingredient number 13.

PCA Skin Hyaluronic Acid Boosting Serum contains this as ingredient number 24.

8
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Loved

Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.

Like hyaluronic acid, it is great at holding water and acts as a humectant. This makes it a great skin hydrating ingredient.

Sodium Hyaluronate is naturally occurring in our bodies and is mostly found in eye fluid and joints.

These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:

Learn more about Sodium Hyaluronate

Awake by Tarte Glow Pill Super Serum contains this as ingredient number 15.

PCA Skin Hyaluronic Acid Boosting Serum contains this as ingredient number 14.

9
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is a form of hyaluronic acid. It is created by the hydrolysis of hyaluronic acid with a high molecular weight. Once created, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid has a low molecular weight.

Low molecular weight HA has been shown to hydrate and increase elasticity of the skin. Increasing elasticity is also associated with reduction of wrinkle depth.

One study found topical low molecular weight hyaluronic acid may be considered for the treatment of rosacea in the adult population. However, we always recommend speaking with a professional about your skin concerns.

Hyaluronic acids are a humectant. This means they draw moisture from the air. Hyaluronic acids help moisturize, soothe, and protect the skin.

Read more about other common forms of hyaluronic acid:

Learn more about Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Awake by Tarte Glow Pill Super Serum contains this as ingredient number 18.

PCA Skin Hyaluronic Acid Boosting Serum contains this as ingredient number 18.

10
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Loved

We don't have a description for Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans.

Awake by Tarte Glow Pill Super Serum contains this as ingredient number 22.

PCA Skin Hyaluronic Acid Boosting Serum contains this as ingredient number 23.

11
What it does: Humectant, Moisturising, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Loved

Hyaluronic acid is naturally found in healthy skin. It is a humectant, meaning it draws moisture to your skin.

Hyaluronic Acid has the capacity to bind to large amounts of water. This ingredient helps hydrate, soothe, and protect the skin.

Fun fact: It is already naturally found in our bodies, such as the fluids of our eyes and our joints.

Studies find this ingredient to have anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties. This can help speed up wound-healing,

These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:

Learn more about Hyaluronic Acid

Awake by Tarte Glow Pill Super Serum contains this as ingredient number 25.

PCA Skin Hyaluronic Acid Boosting Serum contains this as ingredient number 33.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

65% are loved or liked
19% have mixed ratings
12% are disliked or very disliked
4% have no rating yet
37% are loved or liked
5% have mixed ratings
39% are disliked or very disliked
20% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Awake by Tarte Glow Pill Super Serum 26 ingredients

Glow Pill Super Serum hasn't been rated yet.
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PCA Skin Hyaluronic Acid Boosting Serum 41 ingredients

5.0 /5
from 1 rating

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