Naked & Thriving Illuminate BC+ Brightening Face Serum Versus CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Oleate Citrate
Emulsifying
Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Morus Nigra Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningPhyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract
HumectantArctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningTerminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Ferulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingAcacia Senegal Gum
MaskingLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingPhenethyl Alcohol
MaskingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Water, Glycerin, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Glyceryl Oleate Citrate, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Propanediol, Bakuchiol, Morus Nigra Leaf Extract, Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract, Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Leaf Extract, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Ferulic Acid, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Pentylene Glycol, Sclerotium Gum, Acacia Senegal Gum, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Phenethyl Alcohol, Sodium Hydroxide
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingCholesterol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Dimethicone, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Carbomer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Cholesterol, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, Isopropyl Myristate, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Phytosphingosine, Ethylhexylglycerin
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
