Kiehl's Ultra Pure High-Potency 1.5% Hyaluronic Acid Serum Versus Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Hyaluronic Marine Hydration Booster

Kiehl's Ultra Pure High-Potency 1.5% Hyaluronic Acid Serum Versus Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Hyaluronic Marine Hydration Booster

This hydrating serum is formulated around Sodium Hyaluronate to hydrate skin and strengthen the skin barrier.

This hydrating serum is formulated around Sodium Hyaluronate and Saccharide Isomerate to hydrate skin and strengthen the skin barrier.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Sodium Hyaluronate

Phenoxyethanol

Chlorphenesin

Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate

Citric Acid

Water, Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Citric Acid

Oenothera Biennis Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract

Saccharide Isomerate

Yucca Aloifolia Leaf/Root Extract

Linoleic Acid

Centella Asiatica Extract

Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract

Ceramide AP

Ceramide EOP

Ceramide NP

Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract

Hydrolyzed Collagen

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Quercetin Caprylate

Glycolic Acid

Lactic Acid

Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract

Glycine Soja Extract

Retinol

Tocopheryl Acetate

Tocopherol

Symphytum Officinale Leaf Extract

Cocos Nucifera Fruit Juice

Tetrapeptide-21

Copper PCA

Sodium PCA

Urea

Bisabolol

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Linolenic Acid

Acrylates/Carbamate Copolymer

C13-14 Isoparaffin

Phytosphingosine

Zinc PCA

Butylene Glycol

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Laureth-7

Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate

Octoxynol-9

Glyceryl Oleate

Isosteareth-200 Linoleate

Polysorbate 20

Carbomer

Cholesterol

Polyacrylamide

Xanthan Gum

Silica Dimethyl Silylate

BHT

Disodium EDTA

Sodium Citrate

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Benzoate

Benzyl Salicylate

Linalool

Parfum

Oenothera Biennis Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Water, Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Saccharide Isomerate, Yucca Aloifolia Leaf/Root Extract, Linoleic Acid, Centella Asiatica Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide NP, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Quercetin Caprylate, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Glycine Soja Extract, Retinol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Symphytum Officinale Leaf Extract, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Juice, Tetrapeptide-21, Copper PCA, Sodium PCA, Urea, Bisabolol, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Linolenic Acid, Acrylates/Carbamate Copolymer, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Phytosphingosine, Zinc PCA, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Laureth-7, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Octoxynol-9, Glyceryl Oleate, Isosteareth-200 Linoleate, Polysorbate 20, Carbomer, Cholesterol, Polyacrylamide, Xanthan Gum, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, BHT, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Benzyl Salicylate, Linalool, Parfum

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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