Lancôme Hydra Zen Beauty Facial Essence Versus Vichy Aqualia Thermal Boosting Essence Water - Canada
Updated on January 26, 2024
Overview
What they are
These products are both reef safe essences. They have a total of 11 ingredients in common
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for dry skin, brightening skin and scar healing
Free From
They both do not contain any parabens
What's Inside
They both contain harsh alcohols and fragrances
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that needs an update? Let us know.
Ingredient Info
Lancôme Hydra Zen Beauty Facial Essence 21 ingredients
Vichy Aqualia Thermal Boosting Essence Water 21 ingredients
What's inside (and what isn't)
What's inside (and what isn't)
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Lancôme Hydra Zen Beauty Facial Essence 21 ingredients
Vichy Aqualia Thermal Boosting Essence Water 21 ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-20
HumectantPEG-8
HumectantBis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingOphiopogon Japonicus Root Extract
Skin ConditioningRosa Gallica Flower Extract
AstringentJasminum Officinale Extract
Masking
Paeonia Suffruticosa Extract
Skin ConditioningTheobroma Cacao Extract
Skin ConditioningMoringa Oleifera Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Alteromonas Ferment Extract
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
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 Flower Extract, Jasminum Officinale Extract, Paeonia Suffruticosa Extract, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract, Alteromonas Ferment Extract, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-20
HumectantButylene Glycol
Humectant
Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane
EmollientPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDimethicone
Emollient
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
Cleansing
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
EmollientCarrageenan
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Skin Conditioning
Ethylcellulose
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Propylene Glycol, PEG-20, Butylene Glycol, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Potassium Hydroxide, Carbomer, Dimethicone, Dimethiconol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopherol, Caprylyl Glycol, Carrageenan, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Ethylcellulose, Cetyl Alcohol, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying - mostly due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue, constricting pores and leaving your skin dried out.
However, alcohol denat. is not all that bad.
Due to its low molecular weight, alcohol denat. tends to evaporate quickly. One study on pig skin found half of applied alcohol evaporated in 10 seconds and less than 3% stayed on skin.
This also helps other ingredients become better absorbed upon application.
Studies are conflicted about whether this ingredient causes skin dehydration. One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased skin dryness and irritation. Another study found irritation only occurs if your skin is already damaged.
Small amounts of alcohol are generally tolerated by oily skin or people who live in humid environments.
The rule of thumb is if this alcohol is near the end of an ingredients list, it will probably not affect your skin much.
Also...
This ingredient has antimicrobial and solvent properties.
The antimicrobial property helps preserve products and increase their shelf life. As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
Learn more about Alcohol Denat.Bis-Peg-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane belongs to the siloxanes and silicones classes. It is synthetically created and has a waxy composition.
This ingredient is a humectant and emollient, meaning it helps hydrate the skin. Humectants draw moisture to your skin, while emollients prevent moisture from escaping.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCarbomer is a polymer of acrylic acid. Its main role is to create a gel consistency.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
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 GlycerinParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient 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.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or '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 by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
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 ParfumWe don't have a description for PEG-20 yet.
Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent 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.
Potassium hydroxide is commonly known as caustic potash. It is used to fix the pH of a product or as a cleaning agent in soap. In cleansers, it is used for the saponification of oils.
Sapnification is the process of creating fatty acid metal salts from triglycerides and a strong base. During this process, Potassium Hydroxide is used up and is not present in the final product.
Using high concentrations of Potassium Hydroxide have shown to irritate the skin.
Learn more about Potassium HydroxidePropylene 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 develop a rash when using this ingredient.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolWater. 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. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about WaterIngredient Ratings
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these products.
