Versus

Hada Labo Blemish & Oil Control Hydrating Lotion Versus Curel Intensive Moisture Facial Cream

Toner
Day Moisturizer
Japanese Brand Japan
Japanese Brand Japan

Overview

Suited For

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

What's Inside

They both contain parabens

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that needs an update? Let us know.

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and see relevant ingredients

About this product

About this product

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Benefits

Concerns

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

found in both products

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Skin Conditioning, Solvent

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. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water
Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning

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.
  • It has mild preservative properties.

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.

Emollient, Skin Conditioning

Squalane is an emollient that helps the skin hold onto moisture. It's an oily liquid that occurs naturally in certain types of fish and plant oils.

Because squalane boosts hydration in the skin, it also comes with plenty of benefits: it is an antioxidant and can help fight free radicals and skin damage. Squalane is also found to have a detoxifying effect when applied.

Squalane comes from squalene, which occurs naturally within the sebum of our skin. It is one of the oils our skin produces to keep itself hydrated. Squalane is the hydrogenated version of squalene and has a longer shelf life.

Research shows that squalane is non-irritating (even at 100% concentration).

In general, it's a fantastic ingredient. It does a great job at hydrating the skin, and it's suitable for those with sensitive skin.

The source of squalane may impact malassezia / fungal acne. This is because olive oil derived squalane can contain impurities such as fatty acids and plant waxes. Sugarcane derived squalane is recommended for anyone with malassezia concerns.

Is squalane vegan?

This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.

Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.

Read more about squalene with an "e".

Learn more about Squalane
Preservative

Methylparaben is a preservative and is a paraben. It is used to prevent the growth of fungus, mold, and other harmful bacteria. Parabens are chemicals used as preservatives in both cosmetics and food.

Methylparaben can be synthetically created. It can also be found naturally in some fruits, such as blueberries.

Oftentimes, Methylparaben is combined with other parabens to help increase the shelf life.

The safety of Methylparaben is currently being studied. While ongoing studies are looking into the safety of parabens, the results have been very mixed. Some studies have not found Methylparaben to be harmful.

Learn more about Methylparaben

When to use

24 Routines
54% use in am
46% use in pm
83% use every day
354 Routines
44% use in am
56% use in pm
98% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Hada Labo Blemish & Oil Control Hydrating Lotion 17 ingredients

5.0 /5
from 1 rating
oilin's avatar

oilin

1 year ago
Review

Excellent lotion
Possibly the best of Hadalabo's lotions for my dry skin in a hot, humid climate.

Curel Intensive Moisture Facial Cream 19 ingredients

4.2 /5
from 18 ratings
Hydrating (11) Absorbs Well (11) Works Well (9)
ThrowMeAway's avatar

ThrowMeAway

5 months ago
Review

I've been struggling with a seriously annoying case of malassezia. I've tried so many products over the years that were deemed safe for fungal acne. Alas - this did not work for me. I wanted this to work so bad!

I've done an extensive amount of research on malassezia. I've figured out that many ingredients that are listed as FA safe are actually problematic for me.

The ingredient that Show more

#broke me out
PatriciaDavid's avatar

PatriciaDavid

1 year ago
Review

I love this so much! I have sensitive, dry skin (and I'm allergic to limonene and linalool), and this hydrates my face really well. I use it in combination with the water essence and my skin feels nice and plump after it. In intense situations (very cold or very hot weather), I feel I need to apply it more than once in the day, but I do have VERY dry skin.

#hydrating
#absorbs well
#no scent