Biossance Squalane + Copper Peptide Rapid Plumping Serum Versus Beekman 1802 Milk Drops Probiotic Ceramide Serum
This hydrating serum is formulated around Squalane and Sodium Hyaluronate to hydrate skin and soften the look of wrinkles.
This barrier-repair serum is formulated around Ceramide NP and Bifida Ferment Lysate to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Squalane
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCopper Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Acmella Oleracea Extract
Skin ProtectingEctoin
Skin Conditioning
Tetrapeptide-30
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-52
Skin Conditioning
Copper PCA
HumectantPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Polyglutamate
HumectantCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract
EmollientPassiflora Incarnata Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningSolanum Melongena Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCurcuma Longa Root Extract
Antioxidant
Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract
TonicCoccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningOcimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCorallina Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingAcacia Senegal Gum
MaskingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, Squalane, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Copper Tripeptide-1, Acmella Oleracea Extract, Ectoin, Tetrapeptide-30, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-52, Copper PCA, Panthenol, Sodium Polyglutamate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Passiflora Incarnata Flower Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Acacia Senegal Gum, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Caprylyl Glycol
Water
Skin ConditioningRosa Damascena Flower Extract
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Caprae Lac
Skin ConditioningColostrum
Skin Conditioning
Bifida Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Lactose
HumectantMilk Protein
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Honey
Humectant
Eryngium Alpinum Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningPyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Salix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Symphytum Officinale Rhizome/Root Extract
Skin ConditioningVaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPopulus Tremuloides Bark Extract
AntiseborrhoeicWhey Protein
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingLecithin
Emollient
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Pullulan
Silica
Abrasive
C10-18 Triglycerides
Emollient
Water, Rosa Damascena Flower Extract, Glycerin, Ceramide NP, Caprae Lac, Colostrum, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Lactose, Milk Protein, Sodium Hyaluronate, Squalane, Ubiquinone, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Honey, Eryngium Alpinum Flower Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Symphytum Officinale Rhizome/Root Extract, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Populus Tremuloides Bark Extract, Whey Protein, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Sclerotium Gum, Lecithin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Pullulan, Silica, C10-18 Triglycerides
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Rosacea skin has a lower threshold for acids generally, with 62.5% of rosacea subjects in one study reacting to lactic acid in a sting test. This is why we mark citric acid as a potential rosacea trigger.
However, this ingredient shows up as a pH adjuster or chelator at roughly 0.1-1% in many products. These low levels are unlikely to be an issue for rosacea skin and becomes a potential trigger at exfoliating concentrations (20%). Because everybody's skin is unique, we recommend a patch test if you are unsure.
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateSqualane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).
It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.
This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.
Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.
Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.
No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).
Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.
This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.
Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.
Read more about squalene with an "e".
Though squalane is often called an oil, it’s technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.
The term “oil-free” isn’t regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.
Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.
A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.
The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.
Learn more about SqualaneWater. 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
