Skin science article
Dr. Sheth's Haldi & Hyaluronic Acid Serum Versus Minimalist Hyaluronic + PGA 02% Face Serum
Dr. Sheth's Haldi & Hyaluronic Acid Serum Versus Minimalist Hyaluronic + PGA 02% Face Serum This hydrating serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Hyaluronic Acid to hydrate skin and strengthen the skin barrier. This hydrating serum is formulated around Sod
Dr. Sheth's Haldi & Hyaluronic Acid Serum Versus Minimalist Hyaluronic + PGA 02% Face Serum
This hydrating serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Hyaluronic Acid to hydrate skin and strengthen the skin barrier.
This hydrating serum is formulated around Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer and Panthenol to hydrate skin and strengthen the skin barrier.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Glycerin
Butylene Glycol
Niacinamide
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
Ceramide NP
Ceramide AP
Phytosphingosine
Cholesterol
Carbomer
Xanthan Gum
Ceramide EOP
Tripeptide-29
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Hyaluronic Acid
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Citric Acid
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Phenoxyethanol
Ethylhexylglycerin
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Pentylene Glycol
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Ceramide EOP, Tripeptide-29, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Citric Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Pentylene Glycol
Glyceryl Glucoside
Sodium Polyglutamate
Methyl Gluceth-20
Dimethyl Isosorbide
Trehalose
Sodium Hyaluronate
Saccharomyces/Copper Ferment
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Bacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract
Betaine
Panthenol
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Chlorphenesin
Ethoxydiglycol
Water, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Glyceryl Glucoside, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Sodium Polyglutamate, Methyl Gluceth-20, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Trehalose, Sodium Hyaluronate, Saccharomyces/Copper Ferment, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Bacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Betaine, Panthenol, Pentylene Glycol, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Ethoxydiglycol
Reviews
Be the first to review
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.
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.
Pentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
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.
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer is a crosslinked version of sodium hyaluronate. This just means it's linked into a 3D mesh network that lets it be more stable and sit on skin as a cohesive, gel-like film rather than sinking into skin.
A 2016 human skin study found crosslinked HA increased epidermal water content by 7.6% over the control group and reduced transepidermal water loss by 27.8%.
A follow-up clinical trial found that a topical crosslinked HA serum applied after fillers, microneedling, or chemical peels was well-tolerated and enhanced skin quality at 14 / 28 days.
More recent research suggests that concentrations as low as 0.03% can act as a penetration enhancer for other skincare actives.
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!