Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Hourglass Cosmetics Equilibrium Restoring Essence versus Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Micro Capsule Skin Replenishing Essence .
Published on May 04, 2023
Overview
What they are
These products are both reef safe essences. They have a total of 8 ingredients in common
Cool Features
They both contain PHA
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, scar healing and better texture
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, fragrances, parabens or sulfates
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.
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.
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
Hourglass Cosmetics Equilibrium Restoring Essence 19 ingredients
Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Micro Capsule Skin Replenishing Essence 28 ingredients
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Fragrance Free
This product is free of fragrances 🎉
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Malassezia Safe
This product is free of malassezia feeding ingredients 🎉
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 😥
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Contains Silicon
Ingredients in this product that are types of silicon:
Fragrance Free
This product is free of fragrances 🎉
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 🎉
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
Hourglass Cosmetics Equilibrium Restoring Essence 19 ingredients
Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Micro Capsule Skin Replenishing Essence 28 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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:
Benefits
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients 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:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Benefits
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Hourglass Cosmetics Equilibrium Restoring Essence 19 ingredients
Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Micro Capsule Skin Replenishing Essence 28 ingredients
Water • Butylene Glycol • Pentylene Glycol • Alteromonas Ferment Extract • Calcium Gluconate • Calcium PCA • Capryloyl Glycine • Citric Acid • Ectoin • Gluconolactone • Glycerin • Hydroxyectoin • Lecithin • Phosphatidylglycerol • Sodium Citrate • Sodium Hyaluronate • Xanthan Gum • Phenoxyethanol • Sodium Benzoate
Water • Propanediol • Butylene Glycol • Pentylene Glycol • Glycerin • Isononyl Isononanoate • Alcaligenes Polysaccharides • Amodimethicone • Calanthe Discolor Extract • Calcium Gluconate • Camellia Japonica Seed Oil • Candida Bombicola/Glucose/Methyl Rapeseedate Ferment • Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride • Carbomer • Castor Oil/Ipdi Copolymer • Disodium EDTA • Gluconolactone • Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil • Maltodextrin • Maris Sal • Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract • Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6 • Sodium Carrageenan • Sodium Hydroxide • Tocopherol • Xanthan Gum • Chlorphenesin • 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 WaterHourglass Cosmetics Equilibrium Restoring Essence contains this as ingredient number 1.
Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Micro Capsule Skin Replenishing Essence 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.
Hourglass Cosmetics Equilibrium Restoring Essence contains this as ingredient number 2.
Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Micro Capsule Skin Replenishing Essence contains this as ingredient number 3.
Pentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can help thicken or emulsify a product. Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. It does this by preventing certain ingredients from separating.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolHourglass Cosmetics Equilibrium Restoring Essence contains this as ingredient number 3.
Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Micro Capsule Skin Replenishing Essence contains this as ingredient number 4.
We don't have a description for Calcium Gluconate.
Hourglass Cosmetics Equilibrium Restoring Essence contains this as ingredient number 5.
Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Micro Capsule Skin Replenishing Essence contains this as ingredient number 10.
Gluconolactone is a PHA. PHAs have a larger structure than AHAs and BHAs and are more gentle. It is an created by reacting gluconic acid with an alcohol.
When applied, Gluconolactone has the same affect on skin as AHAs such as lactic acid. It helps dissolve the dead skin cells in the top layer of your skin. This helps improve texture and brightens the skin.
Gluconolactone is a humectant and helps draw moisture to your skin. This helps keep your skin hydrated.
PHAs are more gentle than AHAs due to their larger structure. They do not penetrate as deeply as AHAs and take a longer time to dissolve dead cells. Studies show PHAs do not cause as much irritation.
PHAs also exhibit antioxidant activity by neutralizing free-radical molecules. This can help with anti-aging.
In a 2004 study, Gluconolactone was found to prevent UV damage in mouse skin cells. However, we still recommend wearing SPF especially after using exfoliating ingredients.
Learn more about GluconolactoneHourglass Cosmetics Equilibrium Restoring Essence contains this as ingredient number 10.
Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Micro Capsule Skin Replenishing Essence contains this as ingredient number 17.
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 GlycerinHourglass Cosmetics Equilibrium Restoring Essence contains this as ingredient number 11.
Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Micro Capsule Skin Replenishing Essence contains this as ingredient number 5.
Xanthan 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 GumHourglass Cosmetics Equilibrium Restoring Essence contains this as ingredient number 17.
Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Micro Capsule Skin Replenishing Essence contains this as ingredient number 26.
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.
Hourglass Cosmetics Equilibrium Restoring Essence contains this as ingredient number 18.
Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Micro Capsule Skin Replenishing Essence contains this as ingredient number 28.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Hourglass Cosmetics Equilibrium Restoring Essence 19 ingredients
Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Micro Capsule Skin Replenishing Essence 28 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Hourglass Cosmetics Equilibrium Restoring Essence 19 ingredients
Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Micro Capsule Skin Replenishing Essence 28 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
Hourglass Cosmetics Equilibrium Restoring Essence 19 ingredients
Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Micro Capsule Skin Replenishing Essence 28 ingredients
tsmeu
I got this as part of a bundle deal and based on the name was under the impression at the time that this contains ceramides. I do find the name of...
I got this as part of a bundle deal and based on the name was under the impression at the time that this contains ceramides. I do find the name of this quite misleading, as this is just part of Elizabeth Arden's "Ceramide" product line but doesn't actually have any ceramides in it. The website claims that this helps support the skin's own ceramide production, but they don't really elaborate how nor show any proof so I'm pretty sceptical about those claims. I was super disappointed when I realized that this didn't contain ceramides or anything else seemingly noteworthy and expected to hate the product, but I actually really love this.
I like to use an essence as the first step after cleansing to rehydrate my skin, and as someone with dry skin I've recently discovered a preference for essences that also contain a bit of oil to help replenish some of the lipids that cleansing would have washed away. I find that this has just about the perfect amount of oil for me - it feels replenishing but doesn't leave an oily feel on the skin or interfere with the absorption of things I layer on top. This is also super hydrating.
I would give this 5 stars if it wasn't for the misleading name and the dispensing technique/packaging being a bit hard to get a hang of.
Alternatives
Our Dupe Finder has found 16 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Hourglass Cosmetics Equilibrium Restoring Essence.
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