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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Serum versus CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum .

Last updated on July 18, 2023. Published on February 10, 2021

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe serums. They have a total of 8 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain hyaluronic acid

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for dry skin, brightening skin and sensitive skin

Free From

They both do not contain any oils or parabens

What's Inside

They both contain silicones

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.

Serum American Brand United States
Serum Canadian Brand Canada

Serum

Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.

Serum

Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.

Price

Shop

Buy Hydro Boost Hydrating Serum

Starts at $19.97
Shop

Buy Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum

Starts at $18.27

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

Benefits

Hydrating (3)
Reduces Irritation
Brightening

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin
Irritating
Rosacea (2)
Eczema (3)

Benefits

Hydrating (5)
Redness Reducing (4)
Reduces Irritation (4)
Anti-Aging (3)
Brightening

Concerns

May Worsen Oily Skin (2)
Acne Trigger (2)
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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

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

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

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.

CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.

3
What it does: Emollient, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting
Community Rating: Very Disliked

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 Hydro Boost Hydrating Serum contains this as ingredient number 3.

CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 4.

4
What it does: Emulsion Stabilising
Community Rating: Liked

Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate is a polymer made from ammonium salts. It helps add stability and texture to a product.

Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate is stable over a wide pH range. Due to its ability to absorb water, it can help thicken the texture of a product.

As an emulsion stabilizer, this ingredient is able to stabilize and mix the other ingredients. This creates a consistent texture.

Learn more about Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Serum contains this as ingredient number 9.

CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 5.

5
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.

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Serum contains this as ingredient number 10.

CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 24.

6
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Loved

Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.

Like hyaluronic acid, it is great at holding water and acts as a humectant. This makes it a great skin hydrating ingredient.

Sodium Hyaluronate is naturally occurring in our bodies and is mostly found in eye fluid and joints.

These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:

Learn more about Sodium Hyaluronate

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Serum contains this as ingredient number 19.

CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 6.

7
What it does: Buffering
Community Rating: Mixed

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 Hydroxide

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Serum contains this as ingredient number 23.

CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 14.

8
What it does: Buffering, Masking
Community Rating: Disliked

Citric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).

If you spot Citric Acid near the end of an ingredient list, it's likely there as a pH adjuster rather than an active ingredient.

As an AHA, Citric Acid removes the top layer of skin cells from the newer layer of skin underneath. This helps skin to remove dark spots and look more even.

Read more about some other popular AHA's here:

Learn more about Citric Acid

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Serum contains this as ingredient number 27.

CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 21.

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

43% are loved or liked
10% have mixed ratings
40% are disliked or very disliked
7% have no rating yet
50% are loved or liked
8% have mixed ratings
42% are disliked or very disliked
0% have no rating yet

Usage

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

When to use

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Serum 30 ingredients

Hydro Boost Hydrating Serum hasn't been rated yet.
Rate it now

CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum 24 ingredients

4.0 /5
from 3 reviews
thefakedwc's Avatar'
May 3, 2023

It kind of works???
I’ve been using this for a while now and it feels like it makes my skin hydrated and smoother but only for a bit

It kind of works???
I’ve been using this for a while now and it feels like it makes my skin hydrated and smoother but only for a bit

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