Skin science article
Isispharma Ruboril Metroruboril A.Z Versus The INKEY List SuperSolutions 10% Azelaic Serum Redness Relief Solution
Isispharma Ruboril Metroruboril A.Z Versus The INKEY List SuperSolutions 10% Azelaic Serum Redness Relief Solution This calming treatment is formulated around Azelaic Acid and Glycyrrhetinic Acid to calm redness and clear breakouts. This calming serum is formu
Isispharma Ruboril Metroruboril A.Z Versus The INKEY List SuperSolutions 10% Azelaic Serum Redness Relief Solution
This calming treatment is formulated around Azelaic Acid and Glycyrrhetinic Acid to calm redness and clear breakouts.
This calming serum is formulated around Azelaic Acid to calm redness and clear breakouts.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Azelaic Acid
Betaine
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Glycerin
Butylene Glycol
Pentylene Glycol
Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Lauryl Glucoside
Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Glycyrrhetinic Acid
Niacinamide
Ethylhexylglycerin
Panthenol
Sclerotium Gum
Chlorphenesin
Escin
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Polysorbate 60
Sorbitan Isostearate
Ruscus Aculeatus Root Extract
Ammonium Glycyrrhizate
Citric Acid
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Hydrolyzed Yeast Protein
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Sodium Citrate
Water, Azelaic Acid, Betaine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Lauryl Glucoside, Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Niacinamide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Panthenol, Sclerotium Gum, Chlorphenesin, Escin, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Ruscus Aculeatus Root Extract, Ammonium Glycyrrhizate, Citric Acid, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Yeast Protein, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Sodium Citrate
Propanediol
Phenoxyethanol
Acacia Senegal Gum
Xanthan Gum
Allantoin
Maltodextrin
Sodium Hydroxide
Hydrolyzed Gardenia Florida Extract
Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract
Polylysine
Water, Azelaic Acid, Propanediol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Acacia Senegal Gum, Xanthan Gum, Allantoin, Glycerin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Maltodextrin, Sodium Hydroxide, Hydrolyzed Gardenia Florida Extract, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Polylysine
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.
Azelaic acid is a multitasker ingredient that helps treat acne, pigmentation, and irritation. It is a great option for sensitive skin.
What makes it special?
OTC Azelaic acid is usually available in concentrations from 10-15% and anything over requires a prescription.
Here's what each tier does best:
Unlike other acids, azelaic acid will not make your skin more photosensitive/sun sensitive.
Though this ingredient is naturally occurring in grains like wheat, rye, and barley, it is usually synthetically created for cosmetics to ensure stability and effectiveness.
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.
This is a synthetic polymer. It helps improve the texture of products by adding thickness and gel-like feel.
It is also an emulsifer, meaning it prevents ingredients such as oil and water from separating. It also helps evenly disperse other ingredients.
Polysorbate 60 is used to help stabilize products. It is a surfactant and emulsifier. These properties help keep ingredients together in a product. Surfactants help reduce surface tension between ingredients with different states, such as liquids and solids. Emulsifiers help prevent oils and waters from separating.
Polysorbate 60 is sorbitol-based and created from the ethoxylation of sorbitan. Ethoxylation is a chemical reaction used to add ethylene oxide. Sorbitan is a the dehydrated version of sorbitol, a sugar found in fruits.
In this case, the 60 comes from reacting 60 units of ethylene oxide with sorbitan.
Polysorbates are commonly used in medicine and foods.
Sorbitan Isostearate is an emulsifer. It is created from isostearic acid and sorbitol.
As an emulsifier, it keeps the water and oil ingredients from separating. This keeps formulas stable and smooth.
In a 24 hour occlusive patch test on 56 subjects, 10% sorbitan isostearate was completely non-irritating. Most formulas use less than 10%.
Because it's a fatty acid ester, it may not be fungal acne safe since the Malassezia yeast can utilize it as a nutrient source.
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!