Vichy Mineral 89 Fortifying and Plumping Daily Booster Versus Missha Super Aqua Ultra Waterful Intensive Serum
This hydrating serum is formulated around Sodium Hyaluronate to hydrate skin and strengthen the skin barrier.
This barrier-repair serum is formulated around Niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
PEG-8
HumectantCyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Camellia Japonica Seed Oil
Emollient
Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin)
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Tromethamine
BufferingPropanediol
Solvent
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Pyrus Malus Fruit Water
MaskingParfum
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Anastatica Hierochuntica Extract
AstringentBetula Platyphylla Japonica Juice
Skin Conditioning
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Extract
Skin Conditioning
Pseudoalteromonas Ferment Extract
Humectant
Myrothamnus Flabellifolia Callus Culture Extract
Antioxidant
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Callus Culture Extract
Antioxidant
Rhizophora Mangle Callus Culture Extract
Antioxidant
Salicornia Herbacea Callus Culture Extract
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientOpuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract
Skin Conditioning
Adansonia Digitata Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningAdenium Obesum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningPolyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Water, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, PEG-8, Cyclohexasiloxane, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Pentylene Glycol, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Tromethamine, Propanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Panthenol, Pyrus Malus Fruit Water, Parfum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Anastatica Hierochuntica Extract, Betula Platyphylla Japonica Juice, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Extract, Pseudoalteromonas Ferment Extract, Myrothamnus Flabellifolia Callus Culture Extract, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Callus Culture Extract, Rhizophora Mangle Callus Culture Extract, Salicornia Herbacea Callus Culture Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Lactobacillus Ferment, Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract, Glyceryl Caprylate, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Adansonia Digitata Seed Extract, Adenium Obesum Leaf Extract, Polyglutamic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateWater. 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
