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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of ISANA Akut Pflege Serum [5% UREA] versus Bolden Dark Spot Fix .

Published on July 05, 2023

Overview

What they are

These products are both vegan, cruelty-free, and reef safe serums. They have a total of 7 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain AHA

Suited For

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

Free From

They both do not contain any parabens, silicones or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain harsh alcohols, common allergens and fragrances

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

Serum German Brand Germany
Serum Brand

Serum

Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.

Serum

Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.

Price

Shop

Buy Akut Pflege Serum [5% UREA]

Shop

Buy Dark Spot Fix

Starts at $18.98

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.

ISANA Akut Pflege Serum [5% UREA] 21 ingredients

Bolden Dark Spot Fix 23 ingredients

alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

ISANA Akut Pflege Serum [5% UREA] 21 ingredients

Bolden Dark Spot Fix 23 ingredients

Notable Ingredients

AHA

Benefits

Hydrating (5)
Redness Reducing
Reduces Irritation (2)
Skin Texture
Scar Healing
Brightening (2)

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin (3)
Acne Trigger (2)
Irritating
Rosacea (3)
Eczema (3)

Notable Ingredients

AHA
Niacinamide
Peptides

Benefits

Hydrating (3)
Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing (2)
Reduces Irritation
Reduces Large Pores
Dark Spots (4)
Scar Healing (3)
Acne Fighting (2)
Brightening (3)

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin (4)
Acne Trigger
Irritating
Rosacea (2)
Eczema
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Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

1
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

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 Water

ISANA Akut Pflege Serum [5% UREA] contains this as ingredient number 1.

Bolden Dark Spot Fix contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

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 Glycerin

ISANA Akut Pflege Serum [5% UREA] contains this as ingredient number 4.

Bolden Dark Spot Fix contains this as ingredient number 3.

3
What it does: Emollient, Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Cetearyl alcohol is a mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is mainly used as an emulsifier. Emulsifiers help prevent the separation of oils and products. Due to its composition, it can also be used to thicken a product or help create foam.

Cetearyl alcohol is an emollient. Emollients help soothe and hydrate the skin by trapping moisture.

Studies show Cetearyl alcohol is non-toxic and non-irritating. The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.

This ingredient is usually derived from plant oils such as palm, vegetable, or coconut oils. There is debate on whether this ingredient will cause acne.

Due to the fatty acid base, this ingredient may not be Malassezia folliculitis safe.

Learn more about Cetearyl Alcohol

ISANA Akut Pflege Serum [5% UREA] contains this as ingredient number 5.

Bolden Dark Spot Fix contains this as ingredient number 14.

4
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Butyrospermum 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 Butter

ISANA Akut Pflege Serum [5% UREA] contains this as ingredient number 7.

Bolden Dark Spot Fix contains this as ingredient number 12.

5
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Soothing
Community Rating: Loved

Allantoin plays a role in soothing and moisturizing the skin. Because of this, it is often added to products with strong active ingredients.

Some studies have shown this ingredient can promote wound healing with higher concentrations.

Allantoin is derived from the comfrey plant but produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.

Learn more about Allantoin

ISANA Akut Pflege Serum [5% UREA] contains this as ingredient number 10.

Bolden Dark Spot Fix contains this as ingredient number 7.

6
What it does: Emollient, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Loved

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

ISANA Akut Pflege Serum [5% UREA] contains this as ingredient number 13.

Bolden Dark Spot Fix contains this as ingredient number 9.

7
What it does: Perfuming, Preservative, Solvent
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Benzyl Alcohol is most commonly used as a preservative. It also has a subtle, sweet smell. Small amounts of Benzyl Alcohol is not irritating and safe to use in skincare products. Most Benzyl Alcohol is derived from fruits such as apricots.

Benzyl Alcohol has both antibacterial and antioxidant properties. These properties help lengthen the shelf life of products. Benzyl Alcohol is a solvent and helps dissolve other ingredients. It can also improve the texture and spreadability.

Alcohol comes in many different forms. Different types of alcohol will have different effects on skin. This ingredient is an astringent alcohol.

Using high concentrations of these alcohols are drying on the skin. They may strip away your skin's natural oils and even damage your skin barrier. Astringent alcohols may also irritate skin.

Other types of astringent alcohols include:

According to the National Rosacea Society based in the US, you should be mindful of products with these alcohols in the top half of ingredients.

Any type of sanitizing product will have high amounts of alcohol to help kill bacteria and viruses.

Learn more about Benzyl Alcohol

ISANA Akut Pflege Serum [5% UREA] contains this as ingredient number 17.

Bolden Dark Spot Fix contains this as ingredient number 8.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

ISANA Akut Pflege Serum [5% UREA] 21 ingredients

Bolden Dark Spot Fix 23 ingredients

43% are loved or liked
14% have mixed ratings
33% are disliked or very disliked
10% have no rating yet
57% are loved or liked
4% have mixed ratings
35% are disliked or very disliked
4% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

ISANA Akut Pflege Serum [5% UREA] 21 ingredients

Bolden Dark Spot Fix 23 ingredients

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

ISANA Akut Pflege Serum [5% UREA] 21 ingredients

Akut Pflege Serum [5% UREA] hasn't been rated yet.
Rate it now

Bolden Dark Spot Fix 23 ingredients

5.0 /5
from 1 rating
Clover's avatar

Clover

7 months ago · Dry Skin
Review

The key is consistency
This has been wonderful for my skin! Most products that are aiming to tackle dark spots contain vitamin C, which is a great...

The key is consistency
This has been wonderful for my skin! Most products that are aiming to tackle dark spots contain vitamin C, which is a great ingredient to tackle things like hyperpigmentation, however my skin absolutely can NOT handle it in any form. Finding a dark spot product without vitamin C that works had been a bit of a challenge, but this is it! I love this product! Niacinamide, tranexamic acid, alpha-arbutin, and kojic acid are great alternatives to vitamin C for fighting dark spots. This product has a very creamy and moisturizing formula too, which my dry skin loves. However, it’s important to remember to be patient and be consistent because dark spots take time to tackle. This won’t work overnight. Give it time and don’t forget things like sunscreen (UV rays make dark spots worse). If you are dealing with dark spots, I highly recommend adding this into your routine.

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