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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of itk Prebiotic Gel Moisturizer versus Tula Skincare Breakout Star Oil-Free Acne Moisturizer .

Published on September 21, 2023

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe general moisturizers. They have a total of 12 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain AHA and niacinamide

Suited For

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

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, oils, 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.

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 Prebiotic Gel Moisturizer

Starts at $14.97
Shop

Buy Breakout Star Oil-Free Acne Moisturizer

Starts at $52.00

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

Notable Ingredients

AHA
Exfoliators
Niacinamide
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

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

Concerns

Drying
Acne Trigger
Irritating
Rosacea (4)
Eczema (4)

Notable Ingredients

AHA
BHA
Niacinamide

Benefits

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

Concerns

Drying (2)
Acne Trigger
Irritating (2)
Rosacea (3)
Eczema (2)
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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

itk Prebiotic Gel Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 1.

Tula Skincare Breakout Star Oil-Free Acne Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 2.

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

itk Prebiotic Gel Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 2.

Tula Skincare Breakout Star Oil-Free Acne Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 5.

3
What it does: Smoothing
Community Rating: Loved

Niacinamide has emerged as an all-star ingredient due to its many benefits.

It is known to treat acne by reducing inflammation. It also helps fade dark-spots and strengthen the skin by promoting the growth of the ceramide barrier.

Other benefits include smoothing wrinkles and minimizing redness.

The cherry on top? Niacinamide can also help build keratin, a protein that keeps skin firm.

When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.

Niacinamide can be mixed with other ingredients to boost benefits. For instance, it has shown to be effective when used with copper, folic acid, and zinc to treat acne.

Learn more about Niacinamide

itk Prebiotic Gel Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 8.

Tula Skincare Breakout Star Oil-Free Acne Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 10.

4
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice comes from leaves of the aloe plant. Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice is best known for helping to soothe sunburns. It is also anti-inflammatory, moisturizing, antiseptic, and can help heal wounds.

Aloe is packed with good stuff including Vitamins A, C, and E. These vitamins are antioxidants, which help fight free-radicals and the damage they may cause. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells, such as pollution.

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice also contains sugars. These sugars come in the form of monosaccharides and polysaccharides, folic acid, and choline. These sugars are able to help bind moisture to skin.

It also contains minerals such as calcium, 12 anthraquinones, fatty acids, amino acids, and Vitamin B12.

Learn more about Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

itk Prebiotic Gel Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 11.

Tula Skincare Breakout Star Oil-Free Acne Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 11.

5
What it does: Buffering, Humectant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Loved

Lactic Acid is an AHA that is derived from fermenting lactose, a carbohydrate from milk. It removes the top layer of old and dead skin cells and helps increase cell turnover.

Benefits of Lactic Acid are that it can help to reduce large pores and reduce the effects of aging. Some potential downsides are that it can be bad for dry skin, cause irritation, worsen eczema, and worsen rosacea.

Not only does it help exfoliate the skin, it helps strengthen the skin's barrier. When applied, lactic acid helps the skin create ceramides.

Lactic acid is an over-the-counter chemical exfoliant that comes from the fermentation of lactose — a carbohydrate found in milk.

Legend has it that Cleopatra used to bathe in sour milk to help reduce wrinkles.

Read more about some other popular AHA's here:

Learn more about Lactic Acid

itk Prebiotic Gel Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 13.

Tula Skincare Breakout Star Oil-Free Acne Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 19.

6
What it does: Preservative
Community Rating: Very Disliked

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.

itk Prebiotic Gel Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 17.

Tula Skincare Breakout Star Oil-Free Acne Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 23.

7
What it does: Emulsion Stabilising
Community Rating: Disliked

This is a synthetic polymer. It helps improve the texture of products by adding thickness and gel-like feel.

It is also an emulsifer, meaning it prevents ingredients such as oil and water from separating. It also helps evenly disperse other ingredients.

itk Prebiotic Gel Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 18.

Tula Skincare Breakout Star Oil-Free Acne Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 9.

8
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.

itk Prebiotic Gel Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 23.

Tula Skincare Breakout Star Oil-Free Acne Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 32.

9
What it does: Buffering, Humectant
Community Rating: Liked

Sodium Lactate is the sodium salt of lactic acid, an AHA. It is a humectant and used to adjust the pH of a product.

Sodium Lactate is part of our skin's NMF, or natural moisturizing factor. Our NMF is essential for the hydration of our top skin layers and plasticity of skin.

It also influences our skin's natural acid mantle and pH, which protects our skin from harmful bacteria.

Our NMF is formed from amino acids, lactic acid, sugars, minerals, peptides, and electrolytes. As we age, our NMF naturally depletes. Other sources of NMF depletion include harsh and drying ingredients such as denatured alcohol. Sodium lactate can help replenish our NMF, leading to more hydrated and plump skin.

High percentages of Sodium Lactate can have an exfoliating effect.

Sodium Lactate is produced from fermented sugar.

Learn more about Sodium Lactate

itk Prebiotic Gel Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 29.

Tula Skincare Breakout Star Oil-Free Acne Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 27.

10
What it does: Emulsifying
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Sorbitan Isostearate is an emulsifer and cleaning agent. It is created from isostearic acid and sorbitol.

As an emulsifier, Sorbitan Isostearate prevents oils and water from separating.

Due to its isostearic acid base, it may not be safe for Malassezia or fungal acne.

Learn more about Sorbitan Isostearate

itk Prebiotic Gel Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 30.

Tula Skincare Breakout Star Oil-Free Acne Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 29.

11
What it does: Masking
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Chances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt.

This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.

You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.

There is much debate on whether this ingredient is comedogenic. The short answer - comedogenic ratings don't tell the whole story. Learn more about comegodenic ratings here.

The concensus about this ingredient causing acne seems to be divided. Research is needed to understand if this ingredient does cause acne.

Scrubs may use salt as the primary exfoliating ingredient.

Learn more about Sodium Chloride

itk Prebiotic Gel Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 34.

Tula Skincare Breakout Star Oil-Free Acne Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 26.

12
What it does: Masking, Skin Conditioning, Soothing
Community Rating: Loved

Bisabolol is pimarily used to add fragrance to a product. However, it is also famous for helping soothe skin.

Bisabolol comes from German chamomile essential oil. Synthetic Bisabolol has been shown to be less effective.

Bisabolol helps soothe skin. It does this by blocking the inflammatory signals, helping to reduce your body's reaction to irritation.

Bisabolol also interferes with the process of hyperpigmentation. This can help with reducing dark spots and uneven tone.

Bisabolol is an antioxidant. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells. By fighting these free-radicals, Bisabolol may slow down signs of aging.

Studies have shown Bisabolol to have antimicrobial properties and may be a fungicide. These properties help preserve a product's shelf life.

Bisabolol also helps the absorption of other ingredients.

Learn more about Bisabolol

itk Prebiotic Gel Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 39.

Tula Skincare Breakout Star Oil-Free Acne Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 13.

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

54% are loved or liked
13% have mixed ratings
31% are disliked or very disliked
3% have no rating yet
52% are loved or liked
6% have mixed ratings
33% are disliked or very disliked
9% have no rating yet

Usage

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

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