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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum versus HYGGEE Natural Repair Serum .

Last updated on October 27, 2023. Published on September 16, 2022

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe serums. They have a total of 9 ingredients in common

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin, sensitive skin, reducing pores and scar healing

Free From

They both do not contain any parabens or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain harsh alcohols, 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.

Serum South Korean Brand South Korea
Serum South Korean Brand South Korea

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 First Care Activating Serum

Starts at $3.69
Shop

Buy Natural Repair Serum

Starts at $35.00

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
ph level
5
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

Notable Ingredients

Vitamin E

Benefits

Hydrating (2)
Redness Reducing (3)
Reduces Irritation (3)
Reduces Large Pores
Anti-Aging
Scar Healing
Acne Fighting
Brightening (2)

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin
Irritating (2)
Rosacea (2)
Eczema (4)

Notable Ingredients

Vitamin C
Niacinamide
Peptides

Benefits

Hydrating (2)
Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing (6)
Reduces Irritation (4)
Skin Texture
Reduces Large Pores (2)
Anti-Aging (3)
Dark Spots (3)
Scar Healing (2)
Acne Fighting (2)
Brightening (2)
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Ingredients Compared

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

Panax Ginseng Root ExtractGlycerinPropanediol1,2-HexanediolButylene GlycolNiacinamideWaterSimethiconePanthenolGelidium Cartilagineum ExtractLaminaria Japonica ExtractHizikia Fusiforme ExtractAscophyllum Nodosum ExtractAscorbic Acid PolypeptideLactobacillus FermentGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root ExtractDextrinCentella Asiatica ExtractScutellaria Baicalensis Root ExtractGlycine Polygonum Cuspidatum Root ExtractSerineGlutamic AcidSesamum Indicum Seed ExtractSophora Flavescens Root ExtractCamellia Sinensis Leaf ExtractCimicifuga Racemosa Root ExtractMorus Alba Bark ExtractPaeonia Lactiflora Root ExtractPhellinus Linteus ExtractAngelica Gigas Root ExtractPolygonum Multiflorum Root ExtractAspartic AcidLeucineRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf ExtractChamomilla Recutita Flower ExtractPaeonia Suffruticosa Root ExtractAlanineLysineArginineTyrosinePhenylalanineValinePancratium Maritimum ExtractThreonineProlineIsoleucineHistidineMethionineCysteineCellulose GumAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate CrosspolymerSodium Polyacryloyldimethyl TaurateHydrogenated PolydeceneEthylhexylglycerinAdenosineTrideceth-10Theobroma Cacao ExtractDisodium EDTAT-Butyl AlcoholCarbomerPolyglutamic AcidPvpBetaine

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: Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Mixed

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

  • It is a solvent, meaning that it helps to dissolve other ingredients. This also enhances the absorption of the product into one's skin.
  • It is a humectant, which means that it helps attract moisture into the skin.
  • It helps improve product application.

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient. It is unlikely to irritate skin, and works well with pretty much all other ingredients.

Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.

HYGGEE Natural Repair Serum contains this as ingredient number 5.

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

Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum contains this as ingredient number 4.

HYGGEE Natural Repair Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.

3
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Loved

Betaine is a common humectant (a substance that promotes retention of moisture). It's known to be gentle on the skin and can help balance hydration.

Betaine is best for improving hydration and soothing irritated skin. Studies show betaine may help with uneven skin tones.

Betaine is naturally created in the skin and body. The form found within cosmetic products can be either plant-dervied or synthetic.

Learn more about Betaine

Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum contains this as ingredient number 5.

HYGGEE Natural Repair Serum contains this as ingredient number 64.

4
What it does: Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming
Community Rating: Disliked

Carbomer is a polymer of acrylic acid. Its main role is to create gel consistency within products.

Carbomer is commonly found in many types of cosmetics products. It is found to be safe in concentrations up to 15%. However, a high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Most products contain 1% of less of carbomer.

Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum contains this as ingredient number 12.

HYGGEE Natural Repair Serum contains this as ingredient number 61.

5
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

This ingredient is extracted from the seeds of the cocoa tree.

Cacao seeds contain antioxidants known as polyphenols. These include flavonoids, procyanidins, and epicatechins.

Studies show these polyphenols help improve skin health.

The more famous ingredient from cocoa tree is cocoa butter.

Learn more about Theobroma Cacao Extract

Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum contains this as ingredient number 18.

HYGGEE Natural Repair Serum contains this as ingredient number 58.

6
What it does: Absorbent
Community Rating: Liked

Dextrin is used to thicken a product and helps bind ingredients together. It is created from starch and glycogen.

As an emulsifier, dextrin prevents ingredients from separating. This helps elongate a product's shelf life.

Studies show coating UV filters with dextrin prevents these ingredients from being absorbed. This helps UV ingredients last longer on the skin.

Learn more about Dextrin

Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum contains this as ingredient number 19.

HYGGEE Natural Repair Serum contains this as ingredient number 17.

7
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.

Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum contains this as ingredient number 26.

HYGGEE Natural Repair Serum contains this as ingredient number 55.

8
What it does: Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, Astringent, Emollient, Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Tonic
Community Rating: Loved

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract is derived from the leaves of the tea plant. Black tea, green tea, and oolong tea are all harvested from this plant.

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract has many benefits. It contains polyphenols, a strong antioxidant. Antioxidants help fight off free-radical molecules that damage skin cells. The antioxidants in green tea neutralize free-radicals from the sun. This gives the skin some extra UV protection, but should not replace sunscreen.

Many components of tea have anti-inflammatory properties. Polyphenols and L-theanine help soothe the skin and reduce irritation. L-theanine is an amino acid that makes up most of the amino acids found in tea leaves. The caffeine in Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract helps calm inflamed blood vessels.

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract also contains Vitamin Bs, linoleic acid, magnesium, calcium, iron, and zinc.

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract also has antimicrobial properties.

Research has shown both drinking Camellia Sinensis Leaf Tea and applying it to the skin can help boost skin elasticity and hydration. Studies also show using tea extract may reduce sebum, or oil, production.

Learn more about Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum contains this as ingredient number 29.

HYGGEE Natural Repair Serum contains this as ingredient number 26.

9
What it does:
Community Rating: Disliked

Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.

It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.

Disodium EDTA is a salt of edetic acid and is found to be safe in cosmetic ingredients.

Learn more about Disodium EDTA

Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum contains this as ingredient number 30.

HYGGEE Natural Repair Serum contains this as ingredient number 59.

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

33% are loved or liked
6% have mixed ratings
42% are disliked or very disliked
19% have no rating yet
58% are loved or liked
11% have mixed ratings
8% are disliked or very disliked
23% 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

Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum 48 ingredients

3.0 /5
from 2 ratings

HYGGEE Natural Repair Serum 64 ingredients

4.0 /5
from 1 rating
Great Value (1) Hydrating (1) Light (1) No Scent (1) Sticky (1) Works Well (1)
tsmeu's avatar

tsmeu

5 months ago · Dry Skin
Review

This is a really nice winter skin saviour and works phenomenally to keep my skin hydrated. The formula might be a bit divisive, as this leaves...

This is a really nice winter skin saviour and works phenomenally to keep my skin hydrated. The formula might be a bit divisive, as this leaves quite a sticky residue on the skin, but I feel like the residue is partly what makes this work so well for maintaining skin hydration throughout the day despite the dry winter air. This might not be pleasant for nighttime use due to the stickiness though.

This is quite a well-rounded serum that in addition to providing hydration also contains gems like niacinamide, adenosine, lactobacillus ferment, antioxidants, soothing ingredients and certain interesting root extracts. I see these as a nice bonus but to me this is first and foremost a hydrating product.

Presuming that the name of the product refers to barrier repair, I wouldn't necessarily say that this is the best product out there for that purpose, as I didn't notice this doing anything special for my barrier function. However it does certainly complement and play nice with more dedicated barrier repairing products, as long as the long list of various plant extracts doesn't irritate the compromised skin. I never experienced any irritation with this, even at times when I had some barrier damage, but my skin isn't very sensitive in the first place.

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