Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Neutrogena Bright Boost Illuminating Serum versus Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Serum .
Published on January 09, 2022
Overview
What they are
These products are both serums. They have a total of 8 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 oils, parabens or sulfates
What's Inside
They both contain fragrances 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.
Price
Ingredient Info
Neutrogena Bright Boost Illuminating Serum 20 ingredients
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Serum 30 ingredients
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Contains Silicon
Ingredients in this product that are types of silicon:
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 🎉
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Malassezia Safe
This product is free of malassezia feeding ingredients 🎉
Not Reef Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not reef safe:
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of 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
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 🎉
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
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
Neutrogena Bright Boost Illuminating Serum 20 ingredients
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Serum 30 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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 4 ingredients that may have this attribute:
Benefits
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:
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:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Neutrogena Bright Boost Illuminating Serum 20 ingredients
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Serum 30 ingredients
Water • Glycerin • Dimethicone • Acetyl Glucosamine • Propylene Glycol • Dimethiconol • Phenoxyethanol • Carbomer • Tetrahydrodiferuloylmethane • Hexylresorcinol • Disodium EDTA • Sodium Hydroxide • Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer • Pentylene Glycol • Parfum • Amodimethicone • Ethylhexylglycerin • Silica • Mica • Titanium Dioxide
Water • Glycerin • Dimethicone • Butylene Glycol • Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate • Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate • Isododecane • Dimethiconol • Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate • Ethylhexylglycerin • Benzyl Alcohol • Sodium Lactate • Cetearyl Olivate • Bisabolol • Chlorphenesin • Sorbitan Olivate • Sodium PCA • Parfum • Sodium Hyaluronate • Acrylates Copolymer • Sorbitol • Chondrus Crispus Extract • Sodium Hydroxide • Proline • Portulaca Oleracea Extract • Propylene Glycol • Citric Acid • Magnesium Aspartate • Zinc Gluconate • Copper Gluconate
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.
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 WaterNeutrogena Bright Boost Illuminating Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.
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 GlycerinNeutrogena Bright Boost Illuminating Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.
Dimethicone is a silicone used for making products smooth and silky. It also has the added benefit of sealing in hydration. The amount of dimethicone found in beauty products is considered safe and non-comedogenic, meaning it won't clog pores.
Dimethicone has been found increase absorption in skin, boosting the benefits of other ingredients. While there is concern for the safety of dimethicone, the levels used in skincare are safe for use.
Neutrogena Bright Boost Illuminating Serum contains this as ingredient number 3.
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Serum contains this as ingredient number 3.
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 GlycolNeutrogena Bright Boost Illuminating Serum contains this as ingredient number 5.
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Serum contains this as ingredient number 26.
Dimethiconol is a silicone that resembles the popular dimethicone. Like other silicones, it is an emollient. Emollients create a thin film on skin to prevent moisture from escaping.
This ingredient helps to create a silky texture and improve spreadability. Due to its high molecular weight and thickness, it is often combined with cyclopentasiloxane.
Neutrogena Bright Boost Illuminating Serum contains this as ingredient number 6.
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Serum contains this as ingredient number 8.
Sodium 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 HydroxideNeutrogena Bright Boost Illuminating Serum contains this as ingredient number 12.
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Serum contains this as ingredient number 23.
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 ParfumNeutrogena Bright Boost Illuminating Serum contains this as ingredient number 15.
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Serum contains this as ingredient number 18.
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.
Neutrogena Bright Boost Illuminating Serum contains this as ingredient number 17.
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Serum contains this as ingredient number 10.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Neutrogena Bright Boost Illuminating Serum 20 ingredients
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Serum 30 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Neutrogena Bright Boost Illuminating Serum 20 ingredients
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Serum 30 ingredients
Alternatives
Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Neutrogena Bright Boost Illuminating Serum.
See 50 alternativesOur Dupe Finder has found 23 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Serum.
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