HEMA Sensitive Calming Serum Versus Joanna Vargas Magic Serum
Updated on December 31, 2024
Overview
What they are
These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe serums. They have a total of 10 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain Vitamin E
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin and scar healing
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, fragrances, parabens, silicones or sulfates
What's Inside
They both contain oils
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
HEMA Sensitive Calming Serum 25 ingredients
Joanna Vargas Magic Serum 30 ingredients
About this product
About this product
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
HEMA Sensitive Calming Serum 25 ingredients
Joanna Vargas Magic Serum 30 ingredients
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningIsohexadecane
EmollientGossypium Herbaceum Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Saccharide Isomerate
HumectantPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningHydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid
Skin ConditioningSalvia Miltiorrhiza Root Extract
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningLecithin
EmollientSodium Hydroxide
BufferingHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Isohexadecane, Gossypium Herbaceum Seed Oil, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Saccharide Isomerate, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Pentylene Glycol, Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid, Salvia Miltiorrhiza Root Extract, Hydroxyacetophenone, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Lecithin, Sodium Hydroxide, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydrogenated Vegetable Glycerides
EmollientPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingMicrocrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningJuglans Regia Leaf Extract
Abrasive
Juglans Regia Shell Extract
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Lecithin
EmollientPyrus Germanica Extract
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingCitric Acid
Buffering
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Pantolactone
HumectantLeontopodium Alpinum Flower/Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningSorbic Acid
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetyl Alcohol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Panthenol, Phenoxyethanol, Hydrogenated Vegetable Glycerides, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Butylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides, Xanthan Gum, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Allantoin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Juglans Regia Leaf Extract, Juglans Regia Shell Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Lecithin, Pyrus Germanica Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Cellulose Gum, Citric Acid, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Potassium Sorbate, Pantolactone, Leontopodium Alpinum Flower/Leaf Extract, Sorbic Acid
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. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about WaterButylene 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.
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 GlycerinButyrospermum Parkii Butter is a plant lipid from the fruit of the Shea Tree. It is an effective skin hydrator and emollient.
Emollients help soothe and soften your skin. It does this by creating a protective film on your skin. This barrier helps trap moisture and keeps your skin hydrated. Emollients may be effective at treating dry or itchy skin.
Shea butter is rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals, or molecules that may harm the body. It is also full of fatty acids including stearic acid and linoleic acid. These acids help replenish the skin and keep skin moisturized.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
Shea butter may not be fungal acne safe. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil comes from the sweet almond, a tree native to Iran. This oil has no fragrance and is non-volatile.
Almonds contain healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. It is a rich source of Vitamin E, a great antioxidant and skin conditioning ingredient. Sweet almond oil contains fatty acids such as linolenic acid and triglycerides.
The content of sweet almond oil makes it a great emollient; it can help soften and hydrate your skin. Emollients create a barrier over your skin to trap moisture in. Sweet almond oil has antioxidant properties.
Those with an almond allergy should be careful of this ingredient and speak with a professional about using it in your skincare.
This ingredient may not be fungal-acne safe.
Learn more about Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis OilXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan GumLecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of mixture of phospholipids.
This ingredient has emollient and emulsifying properties.
As an emollient, lecithen helps soften the skin and creates a barrier to keep moisture in.
As an emulsifier, it also helps prevent water and oil ingredients from separating. Lecithin can also help ingredients be better absorbed by the skin.
This is because the phospholipids in lecithin produce liposomes. Liposomes help other ingredients get through the skin barrier.
Depending on the source of this ingredient, lecithin may not be fungal acne safe. This is because some sources of lecithin come from soybean oil, which may feed the malassezia yeast that feeds fungal acne.
We recommend reaching out to the brand you are purchasing from to inquire about the source of their lecithin.
Learn more about LecithinHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil is the oil derived from the seeds of a Sunflower. Sunflower seed oil is non-fragrant. It is an emollient, meaning it helps to soften the skin.
Sunflower seed oil contains many fatty acids. The fatty acids found in sunflower seeds include (from highest amount to least): linoleic acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, arachidic acid, oleic acid, and linolenic acid.
These fatty acids help the skin create ceramides. Ceramides play a role in repairing the skin barrier.
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil helps moisturize the skin. This in turn helps the skin look more rejuvenated and smoother.
Sunflowers are rich in vitamin E.
Historians believe Indigenous cultures of North America domesticated sunflowers before corn. Thus they relied on sunflower oil for a variety of uses. One such use is moisturizing skin and hair.
Sunflower seed oil may not be fungal acne safe. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Helianthus Annuus Seed OilCitric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).
As an AHA, Citric Acid removes the top layer of skin cells from the newer layer of skin underneath. This helps skin to remove dark spots and even out skin tone.
If you spot Citric Acid near the end of an ingredient list, it's likely there as a pH adjuster rather than an active ingredient.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidTocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
Learn more about TocopherolIngredient Ratings
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