ISANA Peptide Serum Versus ISANA Balance Serum

ISANA Peptide Serum Versus ISANA Balance Serum

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid and Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.

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

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

No concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Methylpropanediol

Glycerin

Propylene Glycol

Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Ethylhexylglycerin

Xanthan Gum

Aspartic Acid

Soluble Collagen

Sodium Salicylate

Caprylyl Glycol

Sodium Benzoate

Citric Acid

Sodium Hydroxide

Tetrasodium Iminodisuccinate

Fumaric Acid

Sodium Citrate

Maleic Acid

Malic Acid

Water, Methylpropanediol, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Aspartic Acid, Soluble Collagen, Sodium Salicylate, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Tetrasodium Iminodisuccinate, Fumaric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Maleic Acid, Malic Acid

Panthenol

Squalane

Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate

C14-22 Alcohols

Ectoin

C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside

Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Glucose

Sclerotium Gum

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Panthenol, Squalane, Glycerin, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, C14-22 Alcohols, Ectoin, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Glucose, Sclerotium Gum, Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol

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.

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.

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.

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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