Skin science article
Estée Lauder Nutritious Booster Drops Serum Versus Good Molecules Hyaluronic Acid Serum
Estée Lauder Nutritious Booster Drops Serum Versus Good Molecules Hyaluronic Acid Serum This barrier-repair serum is formulated around Lactobacillus Ferment and Niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier and calm redness. This hydrating serum is formulated aro
Estée Lauder Nutritious Booster Drops Serum Versus Good Molecules Hyaluronic Acid Serum
This barrier-repair serum is formulated around Lactobacillus Ferment and Niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier and calm redness.
This hydrating serum is formulated around Sodium Hyaluronate to hydrate skin.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Glycerin
Butylene Glycol
Glycereth-26
Lactobacillus Ferment
Niacinamide
Hexylene Glycol
Laminaria Saccharina Extract
Porphyridium Cruentum Extract
Castanea Sativa Seed Extract
Glycine Soja Seed Extract
Sodium Hyaluronate
Hydrolyzed Rice Extract
Punica Granatum Pericarp Extract
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Caffeine
Sucrose
Xanthan Gum
Ethylhexylglycerin
Caprylyl Glycol
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
Polysorbate 20
Sodium Hydroxide
Alcohol Denat.
Phenoxyethanol
Sodium Benzoate
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Glycereth-26, Lactobacillus Ferment, Niacinamide, Hexylene Glycol, Laminaria Saccharina Extract, Porphyridium Cruentum Extract, Castanea Sativa Seed Extract, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Rice Extract, Punica Granatum Pericarp Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Caffeine, Sucrose, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Hydroxide, Alcohol Denat., Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate
Propanediol
Hydroxyacetophenone
Sodium Citrate
Citric Acid
Tocopherol
Water, Propanediol, Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol
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Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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.
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!