Explore Routine Login

Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Bioderma Hydrabio Gel Cream Moisturizer versus Missha Cicadin Blemish Clearing Serum .

Last updated on September 18, 2023. Published on May 04, 2023

Overview

Cool Features

They both contain BHA and niacinamide

Suited For

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

Free From

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

What's Inside

They both contain silicones

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

General Moisturizer French Brand France
Serum South Korean Brand South Korea

General Moisturizer

All-purpose moisturizers hydrate the top layer of skin cells.

Serum

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

Price

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

BHA
Vitamin E (2)
Niacinamide

Benefits

Hydrating (2)
Good For Oily Skin (2)
Redness Reducing
Reduces Large Pores (2)
Dark Spots
Scar Healing
Acne Fighting (2)
Brightening (5)

Concerns

Drying
Irritating
Rosacea
Eczema

Notable Ingredients

AHA
BHA
PHA
Niacinamide
Ceramides

Benefits

Hydrating (2)
Good For Oily Skin (3)
Redness Reducing (6)
Reduces Irritation (6)
Skin Texture (2)
Reduces Large Pores (4)
Anti-Aging (5)
Dark Spots (4)
Scar Healing (4)
Acne Fighting (3)
Brightening (4)

Concerns

Drying
Irritating (2)
Rosacea (2)
Eczema
Join our community

Build your routine, track which ingredients work for you, and much more with your free account.

Join SkinSort

Ingredients Compared

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

Ingredients Side-by-side

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

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

Loading ingredients...

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

Bioderma Hydrabio Gel Cream Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 1.

Missha Cicadin Blemish Clearing Serum contains this as ingredient number 39.

2
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

Bioderma Hydrabio Gel Cream Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 2.

Missha Cicadin Blemish Clearing Serum contains this as ingredient number 3.

3
What it does: Emollient, Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Disliked

Cyclopentasiloxane is a silicone used to improve texture and trap moisture. An easier name for this is D5.

D5 is considered lightweight and volatile. Volatile means it evaporates quickly after application. Once evaporated, D5 leaves a thin barrier that helps keep skin hydrated.

D5 is an emollient. Emollients help soften the skin and prevent water loss. Silicones create a silky texture in products. D5 helps other ingredients become more spreadable.

Studies show D5 is safe to use in skincare products. We recommend speaking with a skincare professional if you have concerns.

Learn more about Cyclopentasiloxane

Bioderma Hydrabio Gel Cream Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 4.

Missha Cicadin Blemish Clearing Serum contains this as ingredient number 31.

4
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

Bioderma Hydrabio Gel Cream Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 6.

Missha Cicadin Blemish Clearing Serum contains this as ingredient number 5.

5
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Mixed

Pentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.

The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.

This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can help thicken or emulsify a product. Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. It does this by preventing certain ingredients from separating.

Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.

Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.

Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.

Learn more about Pentylene Glycol

Bioderma Hydrabio Gel Cream Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 14.

Missha Cicadin Blemish Clearing Serum contains this as ingredient number 51.

6
What it does:
Community Rating: Disliked

Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.

It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.

Disodium EDTA is a salt of edetic acid and is found to be safe in cosmetic ingredients.

Learn more about Disodium EDTA

Bioderma Hydrabio Gel Cream Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 18.

Missha Cicadin Blemish Clearing Serum contains this as ingredient number 36.

7
What it does: Masking, Preservative, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

Salicylic Acid (also known as beta hydroxy acid or BHA) is one of the most well-known ingredients for treating skin that struggles with blackheads and acne. It helps to exfoliate both the skin's surface and pores, and also acts as an anti-inflammatory agent.

This multitasking property makes it a great ingredient for cleaning out pores, controlling oil production, and reducing inflammation.

Unlike AHAs which are water soluble, Salicylic Acid is oil soluble. This means that it's able to exfoliate the inside of pores and reduce blackheads.

Concentrations of 0.5-2% are recognized by the U.S. FDA as an over-the-counter topical acne product.

It can cause irritation and/or dryness if one's skin already has a compromised moisture barrier, so it's best to focus on repairing that before introducing a Salicylic Acid into your routine.

In general, Salicylic Acid is a great ingredient for oily acne-prone skin.

While salicylic acid does not increase sun-sensitivity, we still recommend wearing SPF.

If you are looking for the ingredient called BHA or Butylated Hydroxyanisole, click here.

Learn more about Salicylic Acid

Bioderma Hydrabio Gel Cream Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 19.

Missha Cicadin Blemish Clearing Serum contains this as ingredient number 24.

8
What it does: Emulsifying
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Peg/Ppg-18/18 Dimethicone is a type of silicone.

Bioderma Hydrabio Gel Cream Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 24.

Missha Cicadin Blemish Clearing Serum contains this as ingredient number 49.

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

38% are loved or liked
7% have mixed ratings
34% are disliked or very disliked
21% have no rating yet
54% are loved or liked
17% have mixed ratings
25% are disliked or very disliked
4% have no rating yet

Usage

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

When to use

Loading routine usage...

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Bioderma Hydrabio Gel Cream Moisturizer 29 ingredients

5.0 /5
from 1 rating
arichumy's avatar

arichumy

9 months ago · Combination Skin
Review

I always come back to this moisturizer. It's very simple, but at the same time the best. Moisturizes and leaves a velvety finish.

Missha Cicadin Blemish Clearing Serum 52 ingredients

Cicadin Blemish Clearing Serum hasn't been rated yet.
Rate it now

Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 15 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Bioderma Hydrabio Gel Cream Moisturizer.

See 15 alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 14 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Missha Cicadin Blemish Clearing Serum.

See 14 alternatives
Loading similar comparisons...