Dr. Roebuck's No Worries Hydrating Face Moisturiser Versus Dr. Roebuck's Surf Chaser Reverse Aging Serum
This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil and Sodium Hyaluronate to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
This anti-aging serum is formulated around Carnosine and Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate to soften the look of wrinkles and fade the look of dark spots.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Carnosine
Skin Conditioning
Coco-Caprylate
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
Antioxidant
Creatine
Skin ConditioningSpilanthes Acmella Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Citrus Aurantium Peel Oil
Borago Officinalis Seed Oil
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingSodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Water, Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Carnosine, Coco-Caprylate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Creatine, Spilanthes Acmella Flower Extract, Niacinamide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Citrus Aurantium Peel Oil, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Xanthan Gum, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Bakuchiol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 HyaluronateSodium Polyacrylate is the sodium salt of polyacrylic acid. It is used as an absorber, emollient, and stabilizer.
This ingredient is a super-absorbent polymer - meaning it can absorb 100 to 1000 times its mass in water. As an emollient, Sodium Polyacrylate helps soften and soothe skin. Emollients work by creating a barrier to trap moisture in. This helps keep your skin hydrated.
Tocopheryl Acetate is a stable, shelf-friendly form of vitamin E.
Formulators love it because plain vitamin E oxidizes quickly once it hits air. This acetate version stays stable and resists going off, helping to extend a product's shelf life.
It's actually inactive on its own and works like a slow-release "storage" form; the enzymes in your skin called esterases gradually convert it into active vitamin E over time.
One in vivo study showed 5% of the acetate in the living layer of the epidermis converted to vitamin E after 5 days of application. This study also found the skin gained protection against UV damage even though the conversion was slow and small.
Once converted, vitamin E acts as a skin's main fat-soluble antioxidant that fights free radicals to protect skin from damage.
Topical vitamin E generally boosts the skin's photoprotection, and it reduced UV-damage in animal models.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
Overall, it has a pretty solid safety profile and has been found to be non-irritating and non-comedogenic. Allergic reactions may happen but stay rare due to how widely the ingredient gets used.
The concentration will vary depending on the formula; industry data shows 0.1% in baby lotions, 3% in lipsticks, and 5% in foot powders. You can also find this ingredient at 100% in a pure vitamin E oil.
Most leave-on skincare keeps it at the lower end, often between 0.5-1%.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. 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 Water
