Elemis Peptide4 Antioxidant Hydra-Serum Versus Kate Somerville KX Concentrates Squalane + Hyaluronic Serum

Elemis Peptide4 Antioxidant Hydra-Serum Versus Kate Somerville KX Concentrates Squalane + Hyaluronic Serum

This hydrating serum is formulated around Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid to hydrate skin and soften the look of wrinkles.

This hydrating serum is formulated around Squalane and Panthenol to hydrate skin and strengthen the skin barrier.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Coco-Caprylate

Glycerin

Steareth-2

Cetearyl Alcohol

Phenoxyethanol

Hydroxyacetophenone

Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract

Steareth-21

Propanediol

Diheptyl Succinate

Carbomer

Disodium EDTA

Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer

Parfum

Xanthan Gum

Lunaria Annua Seed Oil

Sodium Hydroxide

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Hydrolyzed Verbascum Thapsus Flower

Myrothamnus Flabellifolia Leaf/Stem Extract

Crocus Sativus Flower Extract

Saccharide Hydrolysate

Limonene

Cananga Odorata Flower Oil

Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil

Eugenia Caryophyllus Bud Oil

Juniperus Mexicana Oil

Lavandula Angustifolia Oil

Citric Acid

Sodium Benzoate

Tocopherol

Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate

Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract

Potassium Sorbate

Ascorbic Acid

Hydrolyzed Yeast Protein

Eugenol

Linalool

1,2-Hexanediol

Caprylyl Glycol

Citrus Aurantium Amara Leaf/Twig Oil

Polianthes Tuberosa Flower Extract

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil

Vetiveria Zizanoides Root Oil

Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil

Citrus Aurantium Flower Oil

Cymbopogon Nardus Oil

Jasminum Officinale Flower Extract

Jasminum Sambac Flower Extract

Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil

Myrocarpus Fastigiatus Oil

Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Oil

Water, Coco-Caprylate, Glycerin, Steareth-2, Cetearyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract, Steareth-21, Propanediol, Diheptyl Succinate, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Parfum, Xanthan Gum, Lunaria Annua Seed Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Verbascum Thapsus Flower, Myrothamnus Flabellifolia Leaf/Stem Extract, Crocus Sativus Flower Extract, Saccharide Hydrolysate, Limonene, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Eugenia Caryophyllus Bud Oil, Juniperus Mexicana Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Tocopherol, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Ascorbic Acid, Hydrolyzed Yeast Protein, Eugenol, Linalool, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Citrus Aurantium Amara Leaf/Twig Oil, Polianthes Tuberosa Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Vetiveria Zizanoides Root Oil, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Citrus Aurantium Flower Oil, Cymbopogon Nardus Oil, Jasminum Officinale Flower Extract, Jasminum Sambac Flower Extract, Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil, Myrocarpus Fastigiatus Oil, Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Oil

Squalane

PPG-24-Glycereth-24

Isosorbide Disunflowerseedate

Isosorbide Dicaprylate

Dimethicone

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Panthenol

Potassium Cetyl Phosphate

Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract

Adenosine

Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer

Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate

Glyceryl Stearate

Glycine Soja Seed Extract

Stearic Acid

Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate

Pentylene Glycol

Caprylhydroxamic Acid

Polyisobutene

PEG-7 Trimethylolpropane Coconut Ether

Ethylhexylglycerin

Magnesium Chloride

Water, Squalane, Glycerin, PPG-24-Glycereth-24, Isosorbide Disunflowerseedate, Isosorbide Dicaprylate, Dimethicone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Propanediol, Panthenol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract, Adenosine, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Stearic Acid, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Polyisobutene, PEG-7 Trimethylolpropane Coconut Ether, Ethylhexylglycerin, Magnesium Chloride, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate

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

Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.

Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.

It plays several roles in a formula:

Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.

Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.

However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.

Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.

Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.

Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.

This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.

A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.

Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.

Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.

However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.

Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.

In skincare formulas, citric acid can:

While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.

Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.

Rosacea skin has a lower threshold for acids generally, with 62.5% of rosacea subjects in one study reacting to lactic acid in a sting test. This is why we mark citric acid as a potential rosacea trigger.

However, this ingredient shows up as a pH adjuster or chelator at roughly 0.1-1% in many products. These low levels are unlikely to be an issue for rosacea skin and becomes a potential trigger at exfoliating concentrations (20%). Because everybody's skin is unique, we recommend a patch test if you are unsure.

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.

Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.

This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.

Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.

You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.

Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.

It’s often used to:

Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.

Sodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.

Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.

Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.

It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.

Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.

We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.

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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