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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Aqua Gel Cream versus iUNIK Centella Calming Gel Cream .

Last updated on November 03, 2023. Published on July 12, 2021

Overview

What they are

These products are both vegan, cruelty-free, and reef safe general moisturizers. They have a total of 9 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain hyaluronic acid

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, brightening skin, sensitive skin, reducing pores, scar healing and dark spots

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, parabens or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain oils and silicones

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

General Moisturizer South Korean Brand South Korea
General Moisturizer South Korean Brand South Korea

General Moisturizer

All-purpose moisturizers hydrate the top layer of skin cells.

General Moisturizer

All-purpose moisturizers hydrate the top layer of skin cells.

Price

Shop

Buy Hyaluronic Acid Aqua Gel Cream

Starts at $16.65
Shop

Buy Centella Calming Gel Cream

Starts at $11.99

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant 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

Benefits

Hydrating (3)
Redness Reducing (6)
Reduces Irritation (5)
Skin Texture
Reduces Large Pores
Anti-Aging (2)
Dark Spots
Scar Healing (3)
Acne Fighting
Brightening (2)

Concerns

Drying
Irritating

Notable Ingredients

Niacinamide
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Good For Oily Skin (3)
Redness Reducing (5)
Reduces Irritation (3)
Reduces Large Pores
Anti-Aging
Dark Spots (2)
Scar Healing (2)
Acne Fighting
Brightening
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Ingredients Compared

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

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

Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Aqua Gel Cream contains this as ingredient number 1.

iUNIK Centella Calming Gel Cream contains this as ingredient number 4.

2
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Mixed

1,2-Hexanediol is a multi-tasker ingredient. It acts as a preservative to increase shelf-life and can aid other preservatives in preventing microbe growth. 1,2-Hexanediol also helps the skin retain moisture as a humectant.

In products that are water-based, this ingredient can help stabilize perfumes and fragrances. It can also help make the texture of products softer and more smooth.

Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Aqua Gel Cream contains this as ingredient number 4.

iUNIK Centella Calming Gel Cream contains this as ingredient number 5.

3
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Loved

Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.

Like hyaluronic acid, it is great at holding water and acts as a humectant. This makes it a great skin hydrating ingredient.

Sodium Hyaluronate is naturally occurring in our bodies and is mostly found in eye fluid and joints.

These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:

Learn more about Sodium Hyaluronate

Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Aqua Gel Cream contains this as ingredient number 10.

iUNIK Centella Calming Gel Cream contains this as ingredient number 21.

4
What it does: Cleansing, Skin Conditioning, Smoothing, Soothing, Tonic
Community Rating: Loved

Centella Asiatica Extract is derived from an herb plant native to Southeast Asia. It is rich in antioxidants and amino acids. In skincare products, Centella Asiatica Extract is used for its anti-inflammatory and soothing properties.

Many active components found in Centella Asiatica Extract, such as Madecassic Acid and Asiaticoside, encourage the skin to naturally produce hyaluronic acid. This helps keep our skin hydrated. Many of these components also show antioxidant activity and may help reduce the signs of aging.

Research shows Centella Asiatica can help increase Type I collagen production by increasing fibroblast production. Fibroblast helps form connective tissue.

The combination of all these properties makes Centella Asiatica Extract effective at soothing the skin.

Other components of Centella Asiatic Extract include Vitamin A, vitamin C, several B vitamins, and Asiatic Acid.

Recent studies found madecassoside may help prevent damage from UV rays by preventing UV-induced inflammation. Further research is needed.

This plant has been used as a medicine and in food for many centuries. As a medicine, it is used to treat burns, scratches, and wounds.

Learn more about Centella Asiatica Extract

Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Aqua Gel Cream contains this as ingredient number 12.

iUNIK Centella Calming Gel Cream contains this as ingredient number 13.

5
What it does: Bleaching, Emollient, Skin Conditioning, Smoothing, Soothing
Community Rating: Liked

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract is an extract of the roots of Licorice. It has been found to have several benefits such as skin hydrating, conditioning, and soothing.

One component, glabridin, has extra potent antioxidant and soothing properties. It has also been found to block pigmentation from UVB rays in guinea pigs.

Licorice Root also contains a flavonoid. Flavonoids are a natural substance from in plants. Flavonoids also have antioxidant properties.

Another component, glycyrrhizin, has been found to have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial benefits. This may make licorice root extract effective at treating acne. However, more research is needed to support this.

Liquiritin is one of the flavone compounds found in licorice. It has been found to help lighten skin by preventing tyrosinase from reacting with tyrosine. When the two react, protein is converted to melanin. Melanin is the substance in your body that gives your features pigmentation.

Learn more about Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Aqua Gel Cream contains this as ingredient number 17.

iUNIK Centella Calming Gel Cream contains this as ingredient number 29.

6
What it does: Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Mixed

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.

Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Aqua Gel Cream contains this as ingredient number 31.

iUNIK Centella Calming Gel Cream contains this as ingredient number 2.

7
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

Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Aqua Gel Cream contains this as ingredient number 33.

iUNIK Centella Calming Gel Cream contains this as ingredient number 14.

8
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Mixed

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 Glycol

Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Aqua Gel Cream contains this as ingredient number 38.

iUNIK Centella Calming Gel Cream contains this as ingredient number 20.

9
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Mixed

Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.

You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.

Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Aqua Gel Cream contains this as ingredient number 39.

iUNIK Centella Calming Gel Cream contains this as ingredient number 16.

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

54% are loved or liked
18% have mixed ratings
26% are disliked or very disliked
3% have no rating yet
45% are loved or liked
19% have mixed ratings
16% are disliked or very disliked
19% have no rating yet

Usage

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

When to use

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Aqua Gel Cream 39 ingredients

4.3 /5
from 13 ratings
Hydrating (3) No Scent (2) Great Value (2) Works Well (2) Sticky (1) Irritating (1)
skinogre's avatar

skinogre

3 months ago · Oily Skin
Review

SO SO SO SO SO GOOD. Not only does it make my skin look like glass, it moistens my skin without having oil residue and breakouts, I literally moan...

SO SO SO SO SO GOOD. Not only does it make my skin look like glass, it moistens my skin without having oil residue and breakouts, I literally moan while putting it on because it feels so silky and smooth. I really love it, it has a perfect consistency, leaves me moistened the whole day and is infused with five different hyaluronic acids and if you don’t know isntree is THE it brand for hyaluronic acids to the extent that their formula is so good they had to patent the formulas for their hyaluronic acid. I really advise it for oily skin and this is my holy grail. I used it from late Nov-Feb so I’d say it has a usage of 3 months which is very reasonable but If I had to say anything bad about it, it would be that i wish it had options of purchasing larger bottles of like 150ml

AnaHuynh's avatar

AnaHuynh

10 months ago · Combination Skin
Review

AMAZING
This is the best lightweight moisturizer for combo/oily skin! But it is more better for oily skin. For me, my cheeks are usually dry...

AMAZING
This is the best lightweight moisturizer for combo/oily skin! But it is more better for oily skin. For me, my cheeks are usually dry because I have combo skin, so it does less well for that patch, I just add another layer in that area. But it’s only a little problem, and is AWESOME FOR THE REST OF MY FACE. It’s good because it’s lightweight, non sticky AND MOISTURIZING. It did not clog any pores or gave me any more acne, it made it better! It’s always good to have a lightweight moisturizer for combo/oily skin because if it’s too thick, it would clog your pores. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!

iUNIK Centella Calming Gel Cream 31 ingredients

3.4 /5
from 22 ratings
No Scent (4) Absorbs Well (4) Light (3) Great Value (3) Works Well (2) Heavy (1)
Pronicio's avatar

Pronicio

2 months ago · Combination Skin
Review

I find it's a pretty good moisturizer for very oily skin and leaves the skin quite fresh and reduces redness and irritation quite well. I would...

I find it's a pretty good moisturizer for very oily skin and leaves the skin quite fresh and reduces redness and irritation quite well. I would personally only use it in the morning before a sunscreen, but not at night, as it's not sufficiently moisturizing for my combination skin.

leigh's avatar

leigh

6 months ago · Combination Skin
Review

Not for combo skin
Disclaimer: I have combo skin that tends to be dry in my cheeks and oily everywhere else. I also have eczema on my cheeks.
This...

Not for combo skin
Disclaimer: I have combo skin that tends to be dry in my cheeks and oily everywhere else. I also have eczema on my cheeks.
This moisturizer absorbs really nicely. I love how it doesn't feel like there's anything on my skin and how it doesn't leave my skin sticky. It's a nice moisturizer. However, for me it makes my nose/ cheek area feel a little tight. Overall I like it and will finish it but I don't think I'll repurchase. I found that even putting two layers of this on my skin it still isn't enough moisture for my combo skin. It works well for my oll forehead but not enough for my dry checks. I wouldn't repurchase since i want to find something that'll work for my whole face.

Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Aqua Gel Cream.

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Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to iUNIK Centella Calming Gel Cream.

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