COSRX Pure Fit Cica Serum Versus Torriden Dive-In Low-Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Serum

COSRX Pure Fit Cica Serum Versus Torriden Dive-In Low-Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Serum

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

This hydrating serum is formulated around Panthenol and Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid to hydrate skin and strengthen the skin barrier.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Centella Asiatica Extract

Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract

Centella Asiatica Root Extract

Butylene Glycol

Glycerin

1,2-Hexanediol

Betaine

Panthenol

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate

Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Allantoin

Ethylhexylglycerin

Xanthan Gum

Water

Pinus Pinaster Bark Extract

Asiaticoside

Asiatic Acid

Madecassic Acid

Madecassoside

Centella Asiatica Extract, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Root Extract, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Betaine, Panthenol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Allantoin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Water, Pinus Pinaster Bark Extract, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Madecassic Acid, Madecassoside

Dipropylene Glycol

Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate

Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate

Ectoin

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

2,3-Butanediol

Trehalose

Propanediol

Portulaca Oleracea Extract

Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract

Ceramide NP

Beta-Glucan

Malachite Extract

Cholesterol

Pentylene Glycol

Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer

Pvm/Ma Copolymer

Tromethamine

Carbomer

Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract

Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract

Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Allantoin, Ectoin, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, 2,3-Butanediol, Trehalose, Betaine, Propanediol, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract, Madecassoside, Madecassic Acid, Ceramide NP, Beta-Glucan, Malachite Extract, Cholesterol, Pentylene Glycol, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Pvm/Ma Copolymer, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Xanthan Gum, Tromethamine, Carbomer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract

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.

1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.

It is a:

Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin

Emollient, helping to soften skin

Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas

Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives

Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.

Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.

Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.

It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.

Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.

This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.

Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.

Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.

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.

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.

Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:

The 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 to patch test if you are unsure.

Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.

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.

Madecassic Acid is one of the four star actives in Centella Asiatica. In skincare, it earns its keep as a calming and repairing ingredient.

It works through the same core pathways as the rest of the centella family.

First, it turns down inflammation so it helps with things like redness and general upset skin.

Second, it acts as an antioxidant which means it helps protect skin from daily stress and damage.

And third, it nudges the skin to make more collagen and rebuild its support structure.

That combination is why the whole Centella family is known for calming skin, strengthening the barrier, fading redness, and giving anti-aging benefits.

It's worth being honest about the evidence here; a lot of the strongest data is on the full extract or a Madecassoside/Asiaticoside rather than Madecassic Acid alone. Reviewers also note more long-term clinical trials are needed to confirm the full potential.

Concentration-wise, this ingredient is rarely used pure and usually shows up as part of a standardized centella extract where reported content ranges from 0.02-3.06%.

Finished products typically run somewhere in the 0.1-10% range depending on the format.

In real-world tolerance tests, a repeat-insult patch test on an eye lotion with 0.2% Centella extract showed no irritation or allergic contact dermatitis in 54 subjects. And a mascara with 0.5% Madecassoside caused neither irritation nor sensitization in 109 subjects.

Allergy risk is very low, but not zero. Centella and its constituents are classified as weak contact sensitizers and some rare cases of allergic contact dermatitis exist.

Madecassoside is one of four active compounds found in Centella asiatica and is one of the main reasons Centella is so effective at calming irritated skin and supporting the moisture barrier.

There's a solid body of peer-reviewed research backing Madecassoside for several skin benefits. Studies have found:

Madecassoside pairs well with other hydrating or antioxidant ingredients like Ascorbic Acid or Hyaluronic Acid.

Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.

There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.

D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.

Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):

Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.

This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.

Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.

This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.

Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate is a cleansing agent and emulsifier.

It rounds up dirt, oil, and grime, so they can be rinsed off easily as a cleanser.

On the emulsifier side, it keeps your formula smooth and well-mixed by playing peacekeeper for ingredients that don't naturally get along (like oil and water).

Because it has a C12 (lauric acid) fatty acid chain, this ingredient can potentially feed the Malassezia yeast that causes fungal acne. The Malassezia yeast prefers esters with C11-C24 fatty acids.

This ingredient is an ester of lauric acid and Polyglycerin-10.

Sodium 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.

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!

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

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