Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of BIOTHERM Aquasource Gel versus Kiehl's Pure Vitality Skin Renewing Cream .
Published on May 26, 2023
Overview
What they are
These products are both reef safe general moisturizers. They have a total of 9 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain BHA and Vitamin E
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, oily skin, reducing pores and scar healing
Free From
They both do not contain any parabens or sulfates
What's Inside
They both contain common allergens, fragrances and oils
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
All-purpose moisturizers hydrate the top layer of skin cells.
General Moisturizer
All-purpose moisturizers hydrate the top layer of skin cells.
Price
Ingredient Info
BIOTHERM Aquasource Gel 39 ingredients
Kiehl's Pure Vitality Skin Renewing Cream 37 ingredients
Contains Alcohol
Ingredients in this product that are types of alcohol:
Contains Silicon
Ingredients in this product that are types of silicon:
Contains Fragrance
Ingredients in this product that are forms of fragrance:
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Contains Oils
Ingredients in this product that are types of oil:
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Not Cruelty Free
This product is not cruelty-free 😥
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Contains Fragrance
Ingredients in this product that are forms of fragrance:
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Contains Oils
Ingredients in this product that are types of oil:
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
Contains EU Allergens
Ingredients in this product that are EU allergens:
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Not Cruelty Free
This product is not cruelty-free 😥
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
BIOTHERM Aquasource Gel 39 ingredients
Kiehl's Pure Vitality Skin Renewing Cream 37 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
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Concerns
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Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Benefits
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Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
BIOTHERM Aquasource Gel 39 ingredients
Kiehl's Pure Vitality Skin Renewing Cream 37 ingredients
Water • Glycerin • Alcohol • Dimethicone • Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid • Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil • Hydroxyethyl Urea • Butyrospermum Parkii Butter • Nasturtium Officinale Extract • C12-13 Pareth-23 • C12-13 Pareth-3 • Ceramide NP • Carbomer • Zinc Gluconate • Glycine Soja Oil • Sodium Chloride • Sodium Hydroxide • Vinyldimethicone • 2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol • Cholesterol • Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate • Disodium EDTA • Salicylic Acid • Vitreoscilla Ferment • Citric Acid • Xanthan Gum • Menthoxypropanediol • Ethylhexylglycerin • BHA • Tocopherol • Tocopheryl Acetate • Phenoxyethanol • Chlorphenesin • CI 19140 • CI 42090 • Linalool • Limonene • Citral • Parfum
Water • Glycerin • Propanediol • Dicaprylyl Ether • Glyceryl Stearate • Lauroyl Lysine • Butyrospermum Parkii Butter • Undecane • Cetearyl Alcohol • Arginine • Hydrogenated Lecithin • Tridecane • Mel Extract • Mica • Panax Ginseng Root Extract • Cera Alba • Capryloyl Glycine • Tocopherol • Citric Acid • Sclerotium Gum • Xanthan Gum • Salicylic Acid • Potassium Sorbate • Cedrus Atlantica Bark Oil • Leuconostoc Ferment Filtrate • Glycine Soja Oil • Adenosine • Caramel • Cananga Odorata Flower Oil • Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract • Bulnesia Sarmientoi Wood Oil • Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil • Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil • Limonene • Benzyl Benzoate • Farnesol • Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 WaterBIOTHERM Aquasource Gel contains this as ingredient number 1.
Kiehl's Pure Vitality Skin Renewing Cream contains this as ingredient number 1.
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 GlycerinBIOTHERM Aquasource Gel contains this as ingredient number 2.
Kiehl's Pure Vitality Skin Renewing Cream contains this as ingredient number 2.
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter is a plant lipid from the fruit of the Shea Tree. It is an effective skin hydrator and emollient.
Emollients help soothe and soften your skin. It does this by creating a protective film on your skin. This barrier helps trap moisture and keeps your skin hydrated. Emollients may be effective at treating dry or itchy skin.
Shea butter is rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals, or molecules that may harm the body. It is also full of fatty acids including stearic acid and linoleic acid. These acids help replenish the skin and keep skin moisturized.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
Shea butter may not be fungal acne safe. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterBIOTHERM Aquasource Gel contains this as ingredient number 8.
Kiehl's Pure Vitality Skin Renewing Cream contains this as ingredient number 7.
Glycine Soja Oil comes from the soybean. Glycine Soja is native to eastern Asia.
Soybean oil is an emollient. It is rich in antioxidants and fatty acids including palmitic, stearic, oleic, and linoleic acids.
As an emollient, the fatty acids in soybean oil helps keep your skin soft and hydrated. It does so by creating a film on top that traps moisture in.
Soybean oil is also rich in vitamin E, a potent antioxidant. Vitamin E is also anti-inflammatory and provides a soothing effect.
Studies show soy may help fade hyperpigmentation from UVB. It does so by disrupting the melanin process from UVB induced skin inflammation.
This ingredient may not be malassezia folliculitis, or fungal-acne, safe.
Soybeans are rich in proteins and are part of the legume family. Foods made with soybeans include tofu, soymilk, edamame, miso, and soy sauce.
Learn more about Glycine Soja OilBIOTHERM Aquasource Gel contains this as ingredient number 15.
Kiehl's Pure Vitality Skin Renewing Cream contains this as ingredient number 26.
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 AcidBIOTHERM Aquasource Gel contains this as ingredient number 24.
Kiehl's Pure Vitality Skin Renewing Cream contains this as ingredient number 22.
Citric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).
If you spot Citric Acid near the end of an ingredient list, it's likely there as a pH adjuster rather than an active ingredient.
As an AHA, Citric Acid removes the top layer of skin cells from the newer layer of skin underneath. This helps skin to remove dark spots and look more even.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidBIOTHERM Aquasource Gel contains this as ingredient number 26.
Kiehl's Pure Vitality Skin Renewing Cream contains this as ingredient number 19.
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 GumBIOTHERM Aquasource Gel contains this as ingredient number 27.
Kiehl's Pure Vitality Skin Renewing Cream contains this as ingredient number 21.
Tocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
Learn more about TocopherolBIOTHERM Aquasource Gel contains this as ingredient number 31.
Kiehl's Pure Vitality Skin Renewing Cream contains this as ingredient number 18.
Limonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.
It's found in the peel oil of citrus fruits and other plants such as lavender and eucalyptus. The scent of limonene is generally described as "sweet citrus".
Limonene acts as an antioxidant, meaning it helps neutralize free radicals.
When exposed to air, oxidized limonene may sensitize the skin. Because of this, limonene is often avoided by people with sensitive skin.
The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term. For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance.
Learn more about LimoneneBIOTHERM Aquasource Gel contains this as ingredient number 38.
Kiehl's Pure Vitality Skin Renewing Cream contains this as ingredient number 34.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
BIOTHERM Aquasource Gel 39 ingredients
Kiehl's Pure Vitality Skin Renewing Cream 37 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
BIOTHERM Aquasource Gel 39 ingredients
Kiehl's Pure Vitality Skin Renewing Cream 37 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
BIOTHERM Aquasource Gel 39 ingredients
sarape
I think it's a very confusing product: You will asume that's safe for acne because it's a very lightweight gel formula, smells super fresh and has...
I think it's a very confusing product: You will asume that's safe for acne because it's a very lightweight gel formula, smells super fresh and has Salicylic Acid, but the truth is it has several oils and Shea Butter on it, which in my case totally broke me out. Plus, it also has a lot of fragrance, so it's not so great for sensitive skin. I guess it might be good for those more into the dry/normal spectrum. So I won't repurchase, but if I did, at least I would be happy because it's not very pricey.
Kiehl's Pure Vitality Skin Renewing Cream 37 ingredients
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