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COSRX Hyaluronic Acid Intensive Cream Versus The INKEY List Omega Water Cream

COSRX Hyaluronic Acid Intensive Cream Versus The INKEY List Omega Water Cream This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Sodium Hyaluronate and Panthenol to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin. This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated a

By Peptide Skincare & Beauty Editorial TeamPublished

COSRX Hyaluronic Acid Intensive Cream Versus The INKEY List Omega Water Cream

This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Sodium Hyaluronate and Panthenol to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier and balance excess oil.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Hippophae Rhamnoides Water

Glycerin

Butylene Glycol

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Betaine

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Cetearyl Alcohol

Cetearyl Olivate

Sorbitan Olivate

Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil

1,2-Hexanediol

Sodium Hyaluronate

Arginine

Panthenol

Dimethicone

Ethylhexylglycerin

Carbomer

Allantoin

Xanthan Gum

Hippophae Rhamnoides Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Betaine, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Arginine, Panthenol, Dimethicone, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer, Allantoin, Xanthan Gum

Water

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Niacinamide

Propanediol

Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Magnesium Sulfate

Glycosphingolipids

Glycolipids

Sodium Benzoate

Disteardimonium Hectorite

Oleic Acid

Potassium Sorbate

Citric Acid

Polyglycerin-3

Water, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Propanediol, Betaine, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Magnesium Sulfate, Glycosphingolipids, Glycolipids, Sodium Benzoate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Oleic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Polyglycerin-3

Reviews

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Betaine is a humectant. Like hyaluronic acid, it helps attract and retain moisture in the skin. It’s known for being gentle and for helping the skin maintain balanced hydration.

Betaine is mainly used to improve hydration and support calmer skin. It helps skin cells regulate water balance because it functions as an osmolyte.

Some studies suggest betaine may support making skin tone more even.

Fun fact: Betaine naturally exists in the skin and the body. In cosmetic products, it can be either plant-derived (most commonly from sugar beets) or synthetically produced for consistency and stability.

Betaine is also known as trimethylglycine.

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.

Similar Comparisons

The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
& further reading.

Connected source records selected through this article’s public topic index.

01

Formula cabinet

Ingredients & structured notes

Ingredient index

Ingredients Explained

  1. 01These ingredients are found in both products.
  2. 02Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
  3. 03Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
  4. 04The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure …
  5. 05Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
  6. 06Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
  7. 07Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
  8. 08Your 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.
  9. 09Aquaporin-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.
  10. 10This 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.
  11. 11Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
  12. 12Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
  13. 13Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
  14. 14It 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.
  15. 15On 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.
  16. 16Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
  17. 17You'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.
  18. 18Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
  19. 19Safety-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.
  20. 20Adverse 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.
Source · skinsort.com ⟶
02

Product index

Related product references

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The Inkey List Polyglutamic Acid

The Inkey List Polyglutamic Acid The Inkey List Polyglutamic Acid ingredients explained: Aqua (Water), Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Bis-PEG-12 Dimethicone, Glycerin, Polymethylsilsesquioxa…

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03

Comparison edit

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