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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum versus La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Face Serum with Hyaluronic Acid .

Last updated on July 18, 2023. Published on February 10, 2021

Overview

What they are

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

Cool Features

They both contain hyaluronic acid

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for dry skin, brightening skin and sensitive skin

Free From

They both do not contain any common allergens, oils or parabens

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.

Serum Canadian Brand Canada
Serum French Brand France

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 Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum

Starts at $18.27
Shop

Buy Hyalu B5 Face Serum with Hyaluronic Acid

Starts at $39.99

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

Benefits

Hydrating (5)
Redness Reducing (4)
Reduces Irritation (4)
Anti-Aging (3)
Brightening

Concerns

May Worsen Oily Skin (2)
Acne Trigger (2)

Notable Ingredients

Vitamin E
Hyaluronic Acid (2)

Benefits

Hydrating
Reduces Irritation (2)
Brightening (2)

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin
Irritating
Rosacea (2)
Eczema (3)
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Ingredients Side-by-side

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

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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

CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Face Serum with Hyaluronic Acid contains this as ingredient number 1.

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

CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.

La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Face Serum with Hyaluronic Acid contains this as ingredient number 2.

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

Dimethicone is a silicone used for making products smooth and silky. It also has the added benefit of sealing in hydration. The amount of dimethicone found in beauty products is considered safe and non-comedogenic, meaning it won't clog pores.

Dimethicone has been found increase absorption in skin, boosting the benefits of other ingredients. While there is concern for the safety of dimethicone, the levels used in skincare are safe for use.

CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 4.

La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Face Serum with Hyaluronic Acid contains this as ingredient number 7.

4
What it does: Emulsion Stabilising
Community Rating: Liked

Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate is a polymer made from ammonium salts. It helps add stability and texture to a product.

Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate is stable over a wide pH range. Due to its ability to absorb water, it can help thicken the texture of a product.

As an emulsion stabilizer, this ingredient is able to stabilize and mix the other ingredients. This creates a consistent texture.

Learn more about Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate

CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 5.

La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Face Serum with Hyaluronic Acid contains this as ingredient number 13.

5
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

CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 6.

La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Face Serum with Hyaluronic Acid contains this as ingredient number 12.

6
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Loved

Panthenol (also referred to as pro-vitamin B5) is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin.

lt is a humectant, meaning that it helps the skin attract and retain moisture.

Another benefit is the anti-inflammatory abilities. This means that it's great for sensitive, irritation-prone skin.

Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.

Learn more about Panthenol

CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 7.

La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Face Serum with Hyaluronic Acid contains this as ingredient number 5.

7
What it does: Preservative
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent germ and microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.

It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.

CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 17.

La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Face Serum with Hyaluronic Acid contains this as ingredient number 21.

8
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

CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 18.

La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Face Serum with Hyaluronic Acid contains this as ingredient number 14.

9
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

CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 20.

La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Face Serum with Hyaluronic Acid contains this as ingredient number 16.

10
What it does: Buffering, Masking
Community Rating: Disliked

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 Acid

CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 21.

La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Face Serum with Hyaluronic Acid contains this as ingredient number 17.

11
What it does: Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Disliked

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 Gum

CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 22.

La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Face Serum with Hyaluronic Acid contains this as ingredient number 18.

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

50% are loved or liked
8% have mixed ratings
42% are disliked or very disliked
0% have no rating yet
41% are loved or liked
9% have mixed ratings
41% are disliked or very disliked
9% 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

CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum 24 ingredients

4.0 /5
from 3 reviews
thefakedwc's Avatar'
May 3, 2023

It kind of works???
I’ve been using this for a while now and it feels like it makes my skin hydrated and smoother but only for a bit

It kind of works???
I’ve been using this for a while now and it feels like it makes my skin hydrated and smoother but only for a bit

La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Face Serum with Hyaluronic Acid 22 ingredients

4.2 /5
from 5 reviews
GabriellaTsoukalas's Avatar'
Aug 22, 2023

LOVED IT
My dermatologist recommended me this product after finishing my acne treatment pills. I LOOOVEEEED IT. I bought the effaclar serum so I stopped using it. (I was so into La roche posay!!). I would repurchased it again and use it...

LOVED IT
My dermatologist recommended me this product after finishing my acne treatment pills. I LOOOVEEEED IT. I bought the effaclar serum so I stopped using it. (I was so into La roche posay!!). I would repurchased it again and use it on my night routine (still trying to figure out what to use). It's a bit expensive for me hihi.

sagadell's Avatar'
Sep 24, 2023

calming and non-irritant, doesnt trigger any redness, itchyness or burning sensation

calming and non-irritant, doesnt trigger any redness, itchyness or burning sensation

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Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Face Serum with Hyaluronic Acid.

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