Estée Lauder Micro Essence Treatment Lotion Fresh With Sakura Ferment Versus Lancôme Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningBifida Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Oryza Sativa Lees Extract
Skin ConditioningPrunus Lannesiana Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningAlgae Extract
EmollientLaminaria Saccharina Extract
Skin ProtectingAcetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Acetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Masking
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Betaine
Humectant
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Trehalose
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
PEG-75
HumectantPPG-5-Ceteth-20
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Sodium Citrate
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Lactobacillus Ferment, Oryza Sativa Lees Extract, Prunus Lannesiana Flower Extract, Algae Extract, Laminaria Saccharina Extract, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Acetyl Glucosamine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Caffeine, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Betaine, Maltodextrin, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Citric Acid, Trehalose, Caprylyl Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, PEG-75, PPG-5-Ceteth-20, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate
Water
Skin ConditioningBifida Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Dimethicone
Emollient
Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid
BufferingAscorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Yeast Extract
Skin ConditioningPEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate
Emulsifying
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Salicyloyl Phytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningAmmonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingLimonene
Perfuming
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Citronellol
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
Water, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Dimethicone, Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Adenosine, Yeast Extract, PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Salicyloyl Phytosphingosine, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Limonene, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Octyldodecanol, Citronellol, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Bifida Ferment Lysate is a postbiotic ingredient made by fermenting Bifidobacterium to extract a nutrient-rich mix of peptides, amino acids, vitamins, organic acids, and polysaccharides.
These components are basically the building blocks that your skin already uses to stay hydrated, repair itself, and maintain its barrier. That's why this ingredient helps your skin hold onto moisture and stay resilient against irritation.
One in-vitro study found that this ingredient tells your skin cells to produce more of the proteins (filaggrin, loricrin, and involucrin) for building a strong and healthy barrier. This study also found this ingredient to be a solid antioxidant that helped neutralize damage against UV and pollution.
A study with people from 2010 found that sensitive, reactive skin using a cream with 10% of this ingredient for a month became noticeably less dry, less reactive, and harder to irritate compared to the group using a plain cream.
In short, this ingredient is a well-tolerated ingredient that can help with barrier repair, antioxidant protection, and calming reactive skin.
This ingredient is generally considered fungal acne (Malassezia) safe; Bifidobacterium is a bacterium, not a yeast or fungus.
The fungal acne concern with fermented ingredients mainly applies to yeast-derived ferments like Saccharomyces and Galactomyces, because those are in the same kingdom as Malassezia and could theoretically contain residual compounds that feed it.
Bifida is a completely different organism, so on its own it doesn't provide a food source for the Malassezia yeast that causes fungal acne.
Learn more about Bifida Ferment LysateCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolSodium 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 HyaluronateWater. 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
