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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of TRUology A² Advanced Retinal Serum .2% versus Dermelect Self-Esteem Beauty Sleep Serum .

Published on January 03, 2024

Overview

What they are

These products are both vegan and cruelty-free serums. They have a total of 6 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain AHA, hyaluronic acid and Vitamin C

Suited For

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

Free From

They both do not contain any common allergens, 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 American Brand United States
Serum American Brand United States

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
Retinoid
Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Niacinamide
Hyaluronic Acid
Peptides (2)

Benefits

Hydrating (3)
Good For Oily Skin (2)
Redness Reducing (4)
Reduces Irritation
Skin Texture (3)
Reduces Large Pores (4)
Anti-Aging (5)
Dark Spots (5)
Scar Healing (3)
Acne Fighting (3)
Brightening (5)

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin (2)
Acne Trigger
Irritating (3)
Rosacea (2)
Eczema

Notable Ingredients

AHA
BHA
Vitamin C
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

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

Concerns

Drying (3)
May Worsen Oily Skin
Irritating (3)
Rosacea (3)
Eczema (2)
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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

TRUology A² Advanced Retinal Serum .2% contains this as ingredient number 1.

Dermelect Self-Esteem Beauty Sleep 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

TRUology A² Advanced Retinal Serum .2% contains this as ingredient number 2.

Dermelect Self-Esteem Beauty Sleep Serum contains this as ingredient number 11.

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

TRUology A² Advanced Retinal Serum .2% contains this as ingredient number 11.

Dermelect Self-Esteem Beauty Sleep Serum contains this as ingredient number 12.

4
What it does: Emulsion Stabilising, Stabilising
Community Rating: Mixed

Hydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.

Hydroxyethylcellulose helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.

This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.

Learn more about Hydroxyethylcellulose

TRUology A² Advanced Retinal Serum .2% contains this as ingredient number 14.

Dermelect Self-Esteem Beauty Sleep Serum contains this as ingredient number 14.

5
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.

TRUology A² Advanced Retinal Serum .2% contains this as ingredient number 34.

Dermelect Self-Esteem Beauty Sleep Serum contains this as ingredient number 16.

6
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.

TRUology A² Advanced Retinal Serum .2% contains this as ingredient number 35.

Dermelect Self-Esteem Beauty Sleep Serum contains this as ingredient number 17.

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

56% are loved or liked
17% have mixed ratings
19% are disliked or very disliked
8% have no rating yet
50% are loved or liked
28% have mixed ratings
17% are disliked or very disliked
6% 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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Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 13 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to TRUology A² Advanced Retinal Serum .2%.

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Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Dermelect Self-Esteem Beauty Sleep Serum.

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