ApotheCARE Essentials Essentials PhytoQuench Replenishing Serum Versus PCA Skin Anti-Redness Serum

ApotheCARE Essentials Essentials PhytoQuench Replenishing Serum Versus PCA Skin Anti-Redness Serum

This hydrating serum is formulated around Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid to hydrate skin.

This calming serum is formulated around Bisabolol and Panthenol to calm redness and strengthen the skin barrier.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

No concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Isodecyl Neopentanoate

Glycerin

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Butylene Glycol

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Phenoxyethanol

Dimethicone

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer

Linoleamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate

Parfum

Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract

Disodium EDTA

Sodium Citrate

Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate

Arctium Lappa Root Extract

Limonene

Coumarin

Linalool

Water, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butylene Glycol, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Dimethicone, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Linoleamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Parfum, Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Citrate, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Arctium Lappa Root Extract, Limonene, Coumarin, Linalool

Sorbitol

Cyclomethicone

Octyldodecyl Myristate

Ethoxydiglycol

Sodium Polyacrylate

Capparis Spinosa Fruit Extract

Hydrogenated Polydecene

Caprylyl Glycol

Bisabolol

Panthenol

Sodium PCA

Steareth-21

Aminomethyl Propanol

Steareth-2

Trideceth-6

Sorbic Acid

Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract

Potassium Sorbate

Asparagopsis Armata Extract

Water, Sorbitol, Cyclomethicone, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Octyldodecyl Myristate, Dimethicone, Ethoxydiglycol, Sodium Polyacrylate, Capparis Spinosa Fruit Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Caprylyl Glycol, Bisabolol, Panthenol, Sodium PCA, Steareth-21, Aminomethyl Propanol, Steareth-2, Disodium EDTA, Trideceth-6, Sorbic Acid, Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Asparagopsis Armata Extract

Alternatives

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.

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.

Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.

In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.

While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.

Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.

This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.

This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.

Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.

What it does:

Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:

Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.

Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.

This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.

Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.

Disodium 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%.

Glycerin (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.

Phenoxyethanol 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.

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. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!

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