Explore Routine Login

Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Urban Skin Radiant & Bright Glowing Moisturizer versus e.l.f. cosmetics Holy Hydration! Hydro-gel Moisturizer .

Published on December 06, 2021

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe general moisturizers. They have a total of 9 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain hyaluronic acid and Vitamin E

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for anti aging, dry skin, brightening skin and scar healing

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, parabens or sulfates

What's Inside

They both contain oils

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

General Moisturizer American Brand United States
General Moisturizer American Brand United States

General Moisturizer

All-purpose moisturizers hydrate the top layer of skin cells.

General Moisturizer

All-purpose moisturizers hydrate the top layer of skin cells.

Price

Shop

Buy Radiant & Bright Glowing Moisturizer

Starts at $23.99
Shop

Buy Holy Hydration! Hydro-gel Moisturizer

Starts at $12.00

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
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

Retinoid
Vitamin C
Vitamin E (2)
Niacinamide
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

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

Concerns

Drying
Irritating

Notable Ingredients

Vitamin E
Ceramides (3)
Hyaluronic Acid
Peptides (2)

Benefits

Hydrating (6)
Redness Reducing (3)
Reduces Irritation (3)
Anti-Aging (4)
Scar Healing
Brightening (2)

Concerns

May Worsen Oily Skin
Irritating
Rosacea
Eczema
Join our community

Build your routine, track which ingredients work for you, and much more with your free account.

Join SkinSort

Ingredients Compared

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

Water • Polyacrylate-13 • Squalane • Shea Butter Ethyl Esters • Polyisobutene • Phenoxyethanol • Retinyl Palmitate • Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil • Xylitylglucoside • Anhydroxylitol • Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate • Tocopheryl Acetate • Collagen Amino Acids • Polysorbate 20 • Xylitol • Ethylhexylglycerin • Sodium Hyaluronate • Alpha-Arbutin • Glutathione • Kojic Acid • Niacinamide • Azelaic Acid • Tocopherol

Ingredients Side-by-side

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

Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are

Loading ingredients...

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

Urban Skin Radiant & Bright Glowing Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 1.

e.l.f. cosmetics Holy Hydration! Hydro-gel Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
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.

Urban Skin Radiant & Bright Glowing Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 6.

e.l.f. cosmetics Holy Hydration! Hydro-gel Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 18.

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

Xylitylglucoside is created from xylitol and glucose, two humectants.

Not surprisingly, this ingredient is also a humectant. It attracts and holds water in your skin, helping to maintain hydration.

This ingredient is most commonly found in a popular trio called Aquaxyl. Aquaxyl is made up of anhydroxylitol(24 - 34%), xylitylglucoside (35 - 50%), and xylitol (5 - 15%).

According to a manufacturer, Aquaxyl is known for a 3-D hydration concept and an anti-dehydration shield to reinforce the outer layer of skin.

Learn more about Xylitylglucoside

Urban Skin Radiant & Bright Glowing Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 9.

e.l.f. cosmetics Holy Hydration! Hydro-gel Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 16.

4
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Loved

This ingredient is created from dehydrating xylitol in acidic conditions. Xylitol is a famous sugar and humectant.

Much like its predecessor, anhydroxylitol is a humectant. Humectants attract and hold water to moisturize the skin.

This ingredient is most commonly found in a popular trio called Aquaxyl. Aquaxyl is made up of anhydroxylitol (24 - 34%), xylitylglucoside (35 - 50%), and xylitol (5 - 15%).

According to a manufacturer, Aquaxyl is known for a 3-D hydration concept and an anti-dehydration shield to reinforce the outer layer of skin.

This ingredient is often derived from plants such as wood and sugarcane.

Learn more about Anhydroxylitol

Urban Skin Radiant & Bright Glowing Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 10.

e.l.f. cosmetics Holy Hydration! Hydro-gel Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 17.

5
What it does: Emulsifying
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Polysorbate 20 is made by combining ethoxylation of sorbitan, ethylene oxide, and lauric acid. It is a mild cleansing agent, surfactant, and emulsifier.

As a surfactant, it helps collect dirt and oils for washing. Emulsifiers prevent oils and water from separating.

Polysorbate 20 also adds scent to a product. Since it is made using sorbitol, it has a sweet scent. Sorbitol can also be found in fruits such as apples and peaches.

The lauric acid used to create Polysorbate 20 is often derived from coconuts.

Polysorbate 20 may not be fungal acne safe.

Learn more about Polysorbate 20

Urban Skin Radiant & Bright Glowing Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 14.

e.l.f. cosmetics Holy Hydration! Hydro-gel Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 36.

6
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

Xylitol is a humectant and prebiotic. It can help with dry skin.

In studies, xylitol has been shown to improve dry skin. It decreased transepidermal water loss, or when water passes through the skin and evaporates. Xylitol also showed to help improve the biomechanical properties of the skin barrier.

The prebiotic property of xylitol may also help reinforce our skin's natural microbiome. Having a healthy microbiome prevents infection by bad bacteria and helps with hydration.

As a humectant, Xylitol helps draw moisture from both the air and from deeper skin layers. This helps keep skin hydrated.

Xylitol is a sugar alcohol and commonly used as a sugar substitute. It is naturally occurring in plants such as strawberries and pumpkin.

Learn more about Xylitol

Urban Skin Radiant & Bright Glowing Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 15.

e.l.f. cosmetics Holy Hydration! Hydro-gel Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 21.

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.

Urban Skin Radiant & Bright Glowing Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 16.

e.l.f. cosmetics Holy Hydration! Hydro-gel Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 27.

8
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

Urban Skin Radiant & Bright Glowing Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 17.

e.l.f. cosmetics Holy Hydration! Hydro-gel Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 9.

9
What it does: Antioxidant, Masking, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

Tocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.

Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.

Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.

You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.

There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.

Learn more about Tocopherol

Urban Skin Radiant & Bright Glowing Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 23.

e.l.f. cosmetics Holy Hydration! Hydro-gel Moisturizer contains this as ingredient number 24.

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

65% are loved or liked
9% have mixed ratings
22% are disliked or very disliked
4% have no rating yet
45% are loved or liked
15% have mixed ratings
38% are disliked or very disliked
3% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

Loading routine usage...
Loading routine usage...

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Urban Skin Radiant & Bright Glowing Moisturizer 23 ingredients

Radiant & Bright Glowing Moisturizer hasn't been rated yet.
Rate it now

e.l.f. cosmetics Holy Hydration! Hydro-gel Moisturizer 40 ingredients

4.0 /5
from 1 rating
Great Value (1) Light (1) Light Scent (1) Works Well (1)
ClaireLundberg's avatar

ClaireLundberg

2 days ago · Combination Skin
Review

I like but don't love this moisturizer, although I'm on my second bottle. Despite having gel in the name, it's not a gel. It's a light cream...

I like but don't love this moisturizer, although I'm on my second bottle. Despite having gel in the name, it's not a gel. It's a light cream moisturizer that feels nice, has some nice anti-aging ingredients, and does what it says on the can. I wish it wasn't scented. I keep using it because I like the airless pump packaging and it's cheap.

Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 8 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Urban Skin Radiant & Bright Glowing Moisturizer.

See 8 alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to e.l.f. cosmetics Holy Hydration! Hydro-gel Moisturizer.

See 50 alternatives
Loading similar comparisons...