Kiehl's Ultra Pure High-Potency 1.5% Hyaluronic Acid Serum Versus Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Re-Texturizing Serum Concentrate

Kiehl's Ultra Pure High-Potency 1.5% Hyaluronic Acid Serum Versus Kiehl's Hydro-Plumping Re-Texturizing Serum Concentrate

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

This hydrating serum is formulated around Panthenol and Ascorbyl Glucoside to hydrate skin.

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

Cyclohexasiloxane

Alcohol Denat.

Butylene Glycol

Dimethicone

Zea Mays Germ Oil

Panthenol

Triethanolamine

Ascorbyl Glucoside

Glyceryl Linoleate

Polyperfluoromethylisopropyl Ether

Polyacrylamide

Dimethiconol

Glyceryl Oleate

Carbomer

Cetyl Alcohol

C13-14 Isoparaffin

Parfum

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Methylparaben

Glycine Soja Oil

Caffeine

Tocopherol

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Castanea Sativa Seed Extract

Benzophenone-4

Menthol

Limonene

PEG-100 Stearate

Glyceryl Stearate

Laureth-7

Hydrolyzed Soy Protein

Potassium Cetyl Phosphate

Butylparaben

Disodium EDTA

Ethylparaben

Glyceryl Linolenate

Propylparaben

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Juice

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract

Citrus Limon Juice

Linalool

Citral

CI 42090

CI 14700

Water, Cyclohexasiloxane, Alcohol Denat., Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Zea Mays Germ Oil, Panthenol, Triethanolamine, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Glyceryl Linoleate, Phenoxyethanol, Polyperfluoromethylisopropyl Ether, Polyacrylamide, Dimethiconol, Glyceryl Oleate, Carbomer, Cetyl Alcohol, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Parfum, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Methylparaben, Glycine Soja Oil, Caffeine, Tocopherol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Castanea Sativa Seed Extract, Benzophenone-4, Menthol, Limonene, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Laureth-7, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Butylparaben, Disodium EDTA, Ethylparaben, Glyceryl Linolenate, Propylparaben, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Juice, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Juice, Linalool, Citral, CI 42090, CI 14700

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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.

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.

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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