Dr. Sheth's Haldi & Hyaluronic Acid Serum Versus The Derma Co 8% Mandelic Acid Face Serum With Hyaluronic Acid & Licorice

Dr. Sheth's Haldi & Hyaluronic Acid Serum Versus The Derma Co 8% Mandelic Acid Face Serum With Hyaluronic Acid & Licorice

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

This smoothing serum is formulated around Mandelic Acid and Gluconolactone to refine skin texture and calm redness.

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

Mandelic Acid

Gluconolactone

Panthenol

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Allantoin

Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract

Centella Asiatica Extract

Methylpropanediol

Sodium Lactate

Ethoxydiglycol

Sodium Hydroxide

Water, Mandelic Acid, Gluconolactone, Panthenol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Allantoin, Hyaluronic Acid, Glycerin, Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Methylpropanediol, Sodium Lactate, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Ethoxydiglycol, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

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.

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a glycosaminoglycan (basically a long sugar chain) that your skin already makes on its own. In your skin, HA lives in the extracellular matrix and acts as the body's moisture reservoir.

Topically, HA is a humectant that binds water and helps skin look more plump, smooth, and hydrated.

The only catch is that HA isn't a single thing; it actually comes in a wide range of molecular weights (~50 - 2,000+ kDA) and size matters.

Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.

This is why the best HA serums blend the two sizes together so you get the best of both worlds.

The majority of cosmetic HA is produced by bacterial fermentation, typically using Streptococcus or Bacillus strains. Typical use levels in skincare sit around 0.1-2%.

A clinical study using a 0.2% low-molecular weight HA gel showed improvement in facial seborrheic dermatitis with excellent tolerance.

These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:

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.

Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6 is a texture enhancer and pH adjuster.

It is be used to thicken water-based products and create a gel-texture with a velvet feel.

One manufacturer claims this ingredient to have a pH range of 2-8 and to be biodegradable.

This ingredient is also known as Sepimax Zen.

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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