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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of The Ordinary Soothing & Barrier Support Serum versus Disciple Shadow Work AHA/BHA Serum .

Last updated on December 06, 2023. Published on March 26, 2024

Overview

What they are

These products are both vegan, cruelty-free, and reef safe serums. They have a total of 3 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain AHA

Suited For

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

Free From

They both do not contain any oils, parabens, silicones or sulfates

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 British Brand United Kingdom

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

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

Notable Ingredients

AHA
Vitamin E
Niacinamide

Benefits

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

Concerns

May Worsen Oily Skin (2)
Acne Trigger
Irritating (2)
Rosacea (2)
Eczema

Notable Ingredients

AHA
BHA

Benefits

Hydrating
Good For Oily Skin (2)
Skin Texture
Reduces Large Pores (2)
Anti-Aging
Dark Spots
Scar Healing (2)
Acne Fighting
Brightening (3)

Concerns

Drying
Irritating (2)
Rosacea (2)
Eczema (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 Soothing & Barrier Support Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

Disciple Shadow Work AHA/BHA Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
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 Soothing & Barrier Support Serum contains this as ingredient number 33.

Disciple Shadow Work AHA/BHA Serum contains this as ingredient number 11.

3
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 Soothing & Barrier Support Serum contains this as ingredient number 44.

Disciple Shadow Work AHA/BHA Serum contains this as ingredient number 7.

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

47% are loved or liked
13% have mixed ratings
20% are disliked or very disliked
20% have no rating yet
35% are loved or liked
6% have mixed ratings
24% are disliked or very disliked
35% 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

The Ordinary Soothing & Barrier Support Serum 45 ingredients

4.0 /5
from 7 ratings
Broke Me Out (1)
mikkoflam's avatar

mikkoflam

5 months ago · Combination Skin
Review

unfortunately broke me out really badly after 1 week use.

Linzaboo's avatar

Linzaboo

6 months ago · Combination Skin
Review

Take away my irritation in one use!

Disciple Shadow Work AHA/BHA Serum 17 ingredients

Shadow Work AHA/BHA Serum hasn't been rated yet.
Rate it now

Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 1 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to The Ordinary Soothing & Barrier Support Serum.

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Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Disciple Shadow Work AHA/BHA Serum.

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