The Saem Iceland Hydrating Soothing Gel Versus Simple Skincare Kind To Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water 98%
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Acrylates Crosspolymer-2
AbsorbentPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingGlycerin
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Silica
Abrasive
Betaine
Humectant
Laminaria Japonica Extract
Skin Protecting
Mesembryanthemum Crystallinum Extract
HumectantPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetraria Islandica Extract
CleansingSorbitol
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningNelumbo Nucifera Extract
Skin ConditioningPrunus Mume Fruit Extract
Humectant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Parfum
Masking
Water 98%, Polysorbate 20, Carbomer, Sodium Acrylates Crosspolymer-2, Potassium Hydroxide, Glycerin, Disodium EDTA, Silica, Betaine, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Mesembryanthemum Crystallinum Extract, Propylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Cetraria Islandica Extract, Sorbitol, Citric Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Nelumbo Nucifera Extract, Prunus Mume Fruit Extract, Lactic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Borago Officinalis Seed Oil
Emollient
Pantolactone
Humectant
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Serine
Masking
Urea
Buffering
Sorbitol
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Methylparaben
Preservative
Propylparaben
Preservative
2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3-Diol
Preservative
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Water, Glycerin, Paraffinum Liquidum, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Cetyl Palmitate, Dimethicone, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Pantolactone, Bisabolol, Sodium Lactate, Lactic Acid, Serine, Urea, Sorbitol, Allantoin, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Hydroxide, Carbomer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Cetyl Alcohol, Pentylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, 2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3-Diol, Mica, Titanium Dioxide
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinLactic Acid is another well-loved alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). It is gentler than glycolic acid but still highly effective.
Its main role is to exfoliate the surface of the skin by loosening the âglueâ that holds dead skin cells together. Shedding those old cells leads to smoother, softer, and more even-toned skin.
Because lactic acid molecules are larger than glycolic acid, they donât penetrate as deeply. This means theyâre less likely to sting or irritate, making it a great choice for beginners or those with sensitive skin.
Like glycolic acid, it can:
Lactic acid also acts as a humectant (like hyaluronic acid). It can draw water into the skin to improve hydration and also plays a role in the skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF) in the form of sodium lactate.
Studies show it can boost ceramide production to strengthen the skin barrier and even help balance the skinâs microbiome.
To get results, choose products with a pH between 3-4.
Lower strengths (5-12%) focus on surface exfoliation; higher strengths (12% and up) can reach deeper in the dermis (deeper, supportive layer) to improve skin texture and firmness over time.
Though it was originally derived from milk, most modern lactic acid used in skincare is vegan. It is made through non-dairy fermentation to create a bio-identical and stable form suitable for all formulations.
When lactic acid shows up near the end of an ingredient list, it usually means the brand added just a tiny amount to adjust the productâs pH.
Legend has it that Cleopatra used to bathe in sour milk to help reduce wrinkles.
Lactic acid is truly a gentle multitasker: it exfoliates, hydrates, strengthens, and brightens. It's a great ingredient for giving your skin a smooth, glowing, and healthy look without the harshness of stronger acids.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Lactic AcidPotassium hydroxide is commonly known as caustic potash. It is used to fix the pH of a product or as a cleaning agent in soap. In cleansers, it is used for the saponification of oils.
Sapnification is the process of creating fatty acid metal salts from triglycerides and a strong base. During this process, Potassium Hydroxide is used up and is not present in the final product.
Using high concentrations of Potassium Hydroxide have shown to irritate the skin.
Learn more about Potassium HydroxideSorbitol is a sugar alcohol. It is a hydrating and moisturizing agent created from the reduction process of glucose.
Most sorbitol is usually made from potato starch. It is also found in fruits such as apples and pears.
As a humectant, Sorbitol helps draw water to the skin. This helps keep the skin hydrated. Sorbitol also helps create a thicker texture in products. You might find sorbitol in your toothpaste and other gels.
It is a non-irritating ingredient that is great for those with dry skin.
Sorbitol is a prebiotic. It helps promote the growth of healthy bacteria on your skin. The bacteria on your skin form a microbiome. This microbiome helps protect your skin from infection and harmful bacteria.
Learn more about SorbitolWater. 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. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
