For Skin’s Sake (FSS) Retinal Serum 0.15% With Samphira Oil Versus Finally Found You! The Ultimate Concentrate NAD + Black Rice
This anti-aging serum is formulated around Lactobacillus/Collagen/Mesembryanthemum Crystallinum Leaf Extract Ferment Lysate and Retinal to soften the look of wrinkles and refine skin texture.
This calming serum is formulated around Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate and Oryza Sativa Extract to calm redness and soften the look of wrinkles.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Triethylhexanoin
MaskingLactobacillus/Collagen/Mesembryanthemum Crystallinum Leaf Extract Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Retinal
Skin Conditioning
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Crithmum Maritimum Extract
Skin ConditioningTromethamine
BufferingPolyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sucrose Laurate
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Inulin Lauryl Carbamate
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
PEG-75 Stearate
Surfactant
Water, Glycerin, Triethylhexanoin, Lactobacillus/Collagen/Mesembryanthemum Crystallinum Leaf Extract Ferment Lysate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Propylene Glycol, Polysorbate 80, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Retinal, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Ceramide NP, Sodium Hyaluronate, Crithmum Maritimum Extract, Tromethamine, Polyglutamic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Butylene Glycol, Sucrose Laurate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, PEG-75 Stearate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantPotassium Azeloyl Diglycinate
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingDiphenyl Dimethicone
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Triethylhexanoin
MaskingSodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingDimethicone
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Sponge
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Eclipta Prostrata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Ethyl Hexanediol
SolventSolanum Lycopersicum Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Acetyl Hexapeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Leaf
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Lecithin
Emollient
Acetyl Glutamine
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sh-Oligopeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Sh-Polypeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Sh-Polypeptide-9
Skin Conditioning
Bacillus/Folic Acid/Soybean Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningSh-Polypeptide-11
Sh-Oligopeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
Oryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Cholesterol
Emollient
Nicotinamide Mononucleotide
Antioxidant
Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide
Skin ConditioningAdenosine Triphosphate
Skin ConditioningResveratrol
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Polyacrylate, Pentylene Glycol, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Diphenyl Dimethicone, Panthenol, Triethylhexanoin, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Dimethicone, Hydrolyzed Sponge, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Adenosine, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Allantoin, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Chlorphenesin, Ethyl Hexanediol, Solanum Lycopersicum Fruit Extract, Acetyl Hexapeptide-1, Centella Asiatica Leaf, Tocopherol, Lecithin, Acetyl Glutamine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sh-Oligopeptide-1, Sh-Polypeptide-1, Sh-Polypeptide-9, Bacillus/Folic Acid/Soybean Ferment Extract, Sh-Polypeptide-11, Sh-Oligopeptide-2, Oryza Sativa Extract, Cholesterol, Nicotinamide Mononucleotide, Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide, Adenosine Triphosphate, Resveratrol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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 HyaluronateTriethylhexanoin is created from glycerin and 2-ethylhexanoic acid. It is a solvent and emollient.
As a solvent, Triethylhexanoin helps dissolve ingredients to stable bases or help evenly distribute ingredients throughout the product.
It is also an emollient and helps condition the skin.
Learn more about TriethylhexanoinWater. 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
