Versus

Some By Mi Retinol Intense Reactivating Serum Versus The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%

Serum
Serum
Korean Brand South Korea
Canadian Brand Canada

Updated on August 07, 2024

Overview

What they are

These products are both vegan and reef safe serums. They have a total of 2 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain Vitamin E

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, dry skin, sensitive skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing, dark spots and better texture

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, parabens or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain silicones

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

Click any item below to learn more and see relevant 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

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

found in both products
Retinol Intense Reactivating Serum

Water

Skin Conditioning

Cyclohexasiloxane

Emollient
Silicon Icon

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Emollient

Glycerin

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Scar Healing IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Methylpropanediol

Solvent

1,2-Hexanediol

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Niacinamide

Smoothing
Niacinamide IconGood for Oily Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Scar Healing IconHelps fight Acne IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin)

Emollient

Panthenol

Skin Conditioning
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Tocopheryl Acetate

Antioxidant
0 / 0 Vitamin E IconAntioxidant Icon

Piper Methysticum Leaf/Root/Stem Extract

Skin Conditioning

Centella Asiatica Extract

Cleansing
Helps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps with Anti-Aging Icon

Panax Ginseng Berry Extract

Skin Conditioning
Helps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation Icon

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Bleaching
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Dark Spots Icon

Ficus Carica Fruit Extract

Humectant
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract

Skin Conditioning
Helps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps with Anti-Aging Icon

Centella Asiatica Root Extract

Skin Conditioning
Helps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation Icon

Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract

Perfuming
Fragrance Icon

Artemisia Capillaris Extract

Eclipta Prostrata Extract

Skin Conditioning

Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract

Skin Conditioning

Elaeis Guineensis Oil

Emollient
Oil IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Emulsifying
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Glyceryl Stearate

Emollient
1 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Bakuchiol

Antimicrobial
Antioxidant IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Dark Spots IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Palmitic Acid

Emollient
2 / 0 May worsen Oily Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Sodium Polyacrylate

Absorbent
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Stearic Acid

Cleansing
2-3 / 0 May worsen Oily Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Xanthan Gum

Emulsifying

Retinol 0.1%

Skin Conditioning
Retinoid IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Scar Healing IconHelps fight Acne IconHelps brighten skin IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Emulsion Stabilising

Butylene Glycol

Humectant
1 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Humectant
Helps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Dark Spots Icon

Adenosine

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Tromethamine

Buffering

Polyquaternium-51

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Beta-Glucan

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Cetyl Alcohol

Emollient
2 / 2 Fatty Alcohol Icon

BHT

Antioxidant
Antioxidant Icon

Collagen

Moisturising
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps with Anti-Aging Icon

Myristic Acid

Cleansing
3 / 0 Bad for Acne Prone Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

BHA

Antioxidant
Antioxidant Icon

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Antimicrobial
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Tocopherol

Antioxidant
0-3 / 0-3 Vitamin E IconAntioxidant IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Bifida Ferment Lysate

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation Icon

Ceramide NP

Skin Conditioning
Ceramide IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps with Anti-Aging Icon

Saccharomyces Ferment

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Retinal

Skin Conditioning
Retinoid IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Scar Healing IconHelps fight Acne IconHelps brighten skin IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Asiaticoside

Antioxidant
Antioxidant IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Glyceryl Polymethacrylate

Madecassoside

Antioxidant
Antioxidant IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps with Anti-Aging Icon

Propylene Glycol

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate

Skin Conditioning
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Glycolipids

Skin Conditioning

Glycine Soja Peptide

Skin Conditioning
Peptide Icon

Resveratrol

Antioxidant
Antioxidant IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Dark Spots Icon

Sucrose Distearate

Emollient
0 / 2 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Asiatic Acid

Skin Conditioning

Madecassic Acid

Skin Conditioning
Helps reduce irritation IconHelps with Anti-Aging Icon

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Skin Conditioning
Peptide IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil

Emollient
Oil IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

PEG-100 Stearate

0 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Polysorbate 20

Emulsifying
0 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Parfum

Masking
Fragrance IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Ethylhexylglycerin

Skin Conditioning

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Skin Conditioning, Solvent

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. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water
Antioxidant, Masking, Skin Conditioning

Tocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.

Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.

Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.

You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.

There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.

Learn more about Tocopherol

When to use

612 Routines
2% use in am
98% use in pm
58% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->
2,959 Routines
42% use in am
58% use in pm
86% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Some By Mi Retinol Intense Reactivating Serum 65 ingredients

4.8 /5
from 4 ratings
Works Well (3) Light (3) Absorbs Well (2)
YSLDave's avatar

YSLDave

1 year ago
Review

Great for beginers
if you never used retinol Serum, buy this, is a Great Serum, absorb really quick and is perfect for oily skin

#great value
#hydrating
#light
#works well
courtneyhall2's avatar

Courtney

21 days ago
Review

Good intro to retinol. Pretty gentle in a serum form with a lot of my favorite ingredients included. It has a scent to it, but I find it enjoyable. It’s left my skin feeling smooth, less irritated, and hydrated. It also helps in reducing redness, which is one of my biggest concerns!

#hydrating
#light
#absorbs well
#strong scent

The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% 17 ingredients

2.9 /5
from 38 ratings
Pilling (18) Great Value (14) Works Well (12)
Elapidae's avatar

Ela

3 months ago
Review

It’s a great starter product with azelic acid.
The price is relatively cheap, the tube will last you long time and it delivers what it should - azelic acid.
However, despite people’s suggestions here I personally would not use it as last step. It does not say it on their homepage but azelic acid has usually low ph. Thus adding it as last step might cause damaged skin barrier on a long run! Show more

#great value
#drying
#works well
anniec's avatar

anniec

1 year ago
Review

Hate
I have rosacea and perioral dermatitis so I thought this would heal my skin but I HATE it. It’s silicone based so it dries matte and you can’t apply sunscreen or any makeup on top. You also can’t reapply because it’ll start pilling. Don’t even think about touching your face after putting this on because it’ll pill. It also stings really bad which is the opposite of what you need for rosacea Show more

#irritating
#heavy
#pilling