Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Lancôme Hydra Zen Beauty Facial Essence versus Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum .
Last updated on October 27, 2023. Published on July 13, 2022
Overview
What they are
These products are both reef safe . They have a total of 11 ingredients in common
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for dry skin and brightening skin
Free From
They both do not contain any parabens or sulfates
What's Inside
They both contain harsh alcohols, common allergens, fragrances and oils
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.
Serum
Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.
Price
Ingredient Info
Lancôme Hydra Zen Beauty Facial Essence 21 ingredients
Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum 48 ingredients
Contains Alcohol
Ingredients in this product that are types of alcohol:
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Contains Fragrance
Ingredients in this product that are forms of fragrance:
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 🎉
Contains EU Allergens
Ingredients in this product that are EU allergens:
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Not Cruelty Free
This product is not cruelty-free 😥
Contains Alcohol
Ingredients in this product that are types of alcohol:
Contains Silicon
Ingredients in this product that are types of silicon:
Contains Fragrance
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 🎉
Contains EU Allergens
Ingredients in this product that are 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
Lancôme Hydra Zen Beauty Facial Essence 21 ingredients
Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum 48 ingredients
Benefits
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient 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:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Benefits
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 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 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:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 4 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Build your routine, track which ingredients work for you, and much more with your free account.
Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Lancôme Hydra Zen Beauty Facial Essence 21 ingredients
Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum 48 ingredients
Water • Propylene Glycol • Glycerin • Alcohol Denat. • Butylene Glycol • Peg-20 • Peg-8 • Bis-Peg-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane • Phenoxyethanol • Peg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil • Ethylhexylglycerin • Carbomer • Potassium Hydroxide • Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract • Rosa Gallica Callus Extract • Jasminum Officinale Extract • Paeonia Suffruticosa Extract • Theobroma Cacao Extract • Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract • Alteromonas Ferment Extract • Parfum
Rosa Damascena Flower Water • Butylene Glycol • Alcohol • Glycerin • Betaine • Peg/Ppg-17/6 Copolymer • Glyceryl Polymethacrylate • Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract • Phenoxyethanol • Bis-Peg-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane • Peg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil • Carbomer • Tromethamine • Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract • Parfum • Honey • Juglans Regia Seed Extract • Theobroma Cacao Extract • Dextrin • Lilium Candidum Bulb Extract • Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract • Rehmannia Glutinosa Root Extract • Polygonatum Officinale Rhizome/Root Extract • Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract • Xanthan Gum • Ethylhexylglycerin • Portulaca Oleracea Extract • Limonene • Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract • Disodium EDTA • Phenyl Trimethicone • Chondrus Crispus • Linalool • Biosaccharide Gum-1 • Ziziphus Jujuba Leaf Extract • Natto Gum • Citronellol • Citral • Propylene Glycol • Geraniol • Chlorphenesin • Hydrogenated Lecithin • BHT • Sodium Dehydroacetate • Potassium Sorbate • Citric Acid • Sorbic Acid • Tocopherol
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.
Propylene Glycol is an odorless, colorless liquid. As a humectant, it helps skin retain moisture. It also aids in delivering active ingredients.
Another role of this ingredient is preventing a product from melting or freezing. Propylene glycol also adds antimicrobrial properties to a product, elongating product lifespan.
This ingredient is considered an organic alcohol and commonly added into both cosmetics and foods.
Those with sensitive skin or conditions may deliver a rash when using this ingredient.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolLancôme Hydra Zen Beauty Facial Essence contains this as ingredient number 2.
Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum contains this as ingredient number 39.
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 GlycerinLancôme Hydra Zen Beauty Facial Essence contains this as ingredient number 3.
Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum contains this as ingredient number 4.
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.
Lancôme Hydra Zen Beauty Facial Essence contains this as ingredient number 5.
Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.
Bis-Peg-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane belongs to the siloxanes and silicones classes. It is synthetically created and has a waxy composition.
Bis-Peg-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane is a humectant and emollient, meaning it helps hydrate the skin. Humectants draw moisture to your skin, while emollients prevent moisture from escaping.
Lancôme Hydra Zen Beauty Facial Essence contains this as ingredient number 8.
Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum contains this as ingredient number 10.
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.
Lancôme Hydra Zen Beauty Facial Essence contains this as ingredient number 9.
Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum contains this as ingredient number 9.
Peg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil comes from hydrogenated castor oil. It is a solubilizer and emulsifier.
As a solubilizer, it helps dissolve ingredients into a water-based version. It is also an emulsifer. Emulsifier help prevent oils and water from separating. Both these properties help create evenly-spread and uniform products.
Basically, Peg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil helps hold ingredients together.
Learn more about Peg-60 Hydrogenated Castor OilLancôme Hydra Zen Beauty Facial Essence contains this as ingredient number 10.
Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum contains this as ingredient number 11.
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.
Lancôme Hydra Zen Beauty Facial Essence contains this as ingredient number 11.
Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum contains this as ingredient number 26.
Carbomer is a polymer of acrylic acid. Its main role is to create gel consistency within products.
Carbomer is commonly found in many types of cosmetics products. It is found to be safe in concentrations up to 15%. However, a high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Most products contain 1% of less of carbomer.
Lancôme Hydra Zen Beauty Facial Essence contains this as ingredient number 12.
Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum contains this as ingredient number 12.
We don't have a description for Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract.
Lancôme Hydra Zen Beauty Facial Essence contains this as ingredient number 14.
Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum contains this as ingredient number 8.
This ingredient is extracted from the seeds of the cocoa tree.
Cacao seeds contain antioxidants known as polyphenols. These include flavonoids, procyanidins, and epicatechins.
Studies show these polyphenols help improve skin health.
The more famous ingredient from cocoa tree is cocoa butter.
Learn more about Theobroma Cacao ExtractLancôme Hydra Zen Beauty Facial Essence contains this as ingredient number 18.
Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum contains this as ingredient number 18.
Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give aroma to products. Parfum, or fragrance, can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "Parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
In the US, the alternative name for parfum is 'fragrance'. The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance. One example is Calendula flower extract. Essential oil ingredients still impart a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, it can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Products use parfum often to give products a scent or cover up smells of different ingredients.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumLancôme Hydra Zen Beauty Facial Essence contains this as ingredient number 21.
Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum contains this as ingredient number 15.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Lancôme Hydra Zen Beauty Facial Essence 21 ingredients
Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum 48 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Lancôme Hydra Zen Beauty Facial Essence 21 ingredients
Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum 48 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
Lancôme Hydra Zen Beauty Facial Essence 21 ingredients
Alternatives
Our Dupe Finder has found 17 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Lancôme Hydra Zen Beauty Facial Essence.
See 17 alternativesOur Dupe Finder has found 19 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum.
See 19 alternatives