Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of DR's Secret Emulsion A6 versus DR's Secret AR Essence A3 .
Published on August 02, 2023
Overview
What they are
These products are both reef safe . They have a total of 6 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain peptides
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 harsh alcohols, parabens or sulfates
What's Inside
They both contain fragrances
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.
Emulsion
A lighter version of moisturizer, usually with a gel-consistency.
Essence
Essences are used to prep skin for further treatment and may provide extra skin benefits. They are usually used before serum and moisturizers. Essences are thought to have originated in either Japan or Korea and is an essential step in K-Beauty.
Price
Ingredient Info
DR's Secret Emulsion A6 44 ingredients
DR's Secret AR Essence A3 15 ingredients
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
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 🎉
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 😥
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 🎉
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of 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
DR's Secret Emulsion A6 44 ingredients
DR's Secret AR Essence A3 15 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Benefits
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Benefits
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
DR's Secret Emulsion A6 44 ingredients
DR's Secret AR Essence A3 15 ingredients
Water • Butylene Glycol • Glycerin • Cyclopentasiloxane • Cyclohexasiloxane • Squalane • Glyceryl Stearate • Bis-Peg-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane • Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride • Polysorbate 60 • Cetearyl Alcohol • Peg-100 Stearate • Panthenol • Sorbitan Sesquioleate • Ethylhexylglycerin • Caprylyl Glycol • Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil • Citrus Limon Peel Oil • Lactobacillus • Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract • Polyacrylate-13 • Glyceryl Polyacrylate • Carbomer • Triethanolamine • Polyisobutene • Disodium EDTA • Polysorbate 20 • Sorbitan Isostearate • Apium Graveolens Root Extract • Brassica Oleracea Capitata Leaf Extract • Brassica Oleracea Italica Extract • Brassica Rapa Leaf Extract • Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract • Oryza Sativa Extract • Solanum Lycopersicum Fruit Extract • Pentylene Glycol • Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil • Ppg-26-Buteth-26 • 1,2-Hexanediol • Sodium Phosphate • Copper Tripeptide-1 • Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 • Oligopeptide-1 • Phenoxyethanol
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 WaterDR's Secret Emulsion A6 contains this as ingredient number 1.
DR's Secret AR Essence A3 contains this as ingredient number 1.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
- It is a solvent, meaning that it helps to dissolve other ingredients. This also enhances the absorption of the product into one's skin.
- It is a humectant, which means that it helps attract moisture into the skin.
- It helps improve product application.
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient. It is unlikely to irritate skin, and works well with pretty much all other ingredients.
DR's Secret Emulsion A6 contains this as ingredient number 2.
DR's Secret AR Essence A3 contains this as ingredient number 3.
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 GlycerinDR's Secret Emulsion A6 contains this as ingredient number 3.
DR's Secret AR Essence A3 contains this as ingredient number 4.
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 PanthenolDR's Secret Emulsion A6 contains this as ingredient number 13.
DR's Secret AR Essence A3 contains this as ingredient number 6.
Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.
You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.
DR's Secret Emulsion A6 contains this as ingredient number 15.
DR's Secret AR Essence A3 contains this as ingredient number 8.
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.
DR's Secret Emulsion A6 contains this as ingredient number 44.
DR's Secret AR Essence A3 contains this as ingredient number 15.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
DR's Secret Emulsion A6 44 ingredients
DR's Secret AR Essence A3 15 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
DR's Secret Emulsion A6 44 ingredients
DR's Secret AR Essence A3 15 ingredients
Alternatives
Our Dupe Finder has found 15 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to DR's Secret Emulsion A6.
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