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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum ("Buffet") versus CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum .

Last updated on July 18, 2023. Published on October 22, 2023

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe serums. They have a total of 10 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 harsh alcohols, common allergens, fragrances or parabens

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

Serum Canadian Brand Canada
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 Multi-Peptide + HA Serum ("Buffet")

Starts at $17.50
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 (2)
Redness Reducing
Reduces Irritation
Skin Texture
Scar Healing
Brightening

Concerns

Drying
Acne Trigger
Rosacea (2)
Eczema

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 Compared

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

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

The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum ("Buffet") 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

The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum ("Buffet") contains this as ingredient number 2.

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

3
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

The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum ("Buffet") contains this as ingredient number 12.

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

4
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

The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum ("Buffet") contains this as ingredient number 33.

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

5
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

The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum ("Buffet") contains this as ingredient number 36.

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

6
What it does: Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Disliked

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

Learn more about Xanthan Gum

The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum ("Buffet") contains this as ingredient number 40.

CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 22.

7
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.

The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum ("Buffet") contains this as ingredient number 41.

CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 11.

8
What it does: Emollient, Humectant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.

It is a common ingredient in many products, especially those designed to hydrate skin. The primary benefits are retaining moisture, skin softening, and promoting a healthy skin barrier.

Though Caprylyl Glycol is an alcohol derived from fatty acids, it is not the kind that can dry out skin.

This ingredient is also used as a preservative to extend the life of products. It has slight antimicrobial properties.

Learn more about Caprylyl Glycol

The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum ("Buffet") contains this as ingredient number 48.

CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 20.

9
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.

The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum ("Buffet") contains this as ingredient number 49.

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

10
What it does: Preservative
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent germ and microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.

It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.

The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum ("Buffet") contains this as ingredient number 50.

CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 17.

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

61% are loved or liked
12% have mixed ratings
22% are disliked or very disliked
6% 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

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum ("Buffet") 51 ingredients

4.3 /5
from 3 ratings
Lakooo's avatar

Lakooo

9 months ago · Combination Skin
Review

Watery but good
Although I prefer creamy serums over watery or oily ones, this one is still pretty pleasant, and I like how it hydrates as well as...

Watery but good
Although I prefer creamy serums over watery or oily ones, this one is still pretty pleasant, and I like how it hydrates as well as giving me the peptide boost I need.

CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum 24 ingredients

4.0 /5
from 3 ratings
thefakedwc's avatar

thefakedwc

1 year ago · Combination Skin
Review

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

Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum ("Buffet").

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Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum.

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