Skin science article
Murad Cellular Hydration Barrier Repair Serum Versus Torriden Dive-In Low-Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Serum
Murad Cellular Hydration Barrier Repair Serum Versus Torriden Dive-In Low-Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Serum This barrier-repair serum is formulated around Lactobacillus Ferment and Urea to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin. This hydrating serum is for
Murad Cellular Hydration Barrier Repair Serum Versus Torriden Dive-In Low-Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Serum
This barrier-repair serum is formulated around Lactobacillus Ferment and Urea to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
This hydrating serum is formulated around Panthenol and Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid to hydrate skin and strengthen the skin barrier.
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Glycerin
Pentylene Glycol
Vaccinium Myrtillus Seed Oil
C14-22 Alcohols
Persea Gratissima Oil
Lactobacillus Ferment
Salix Alba Extract
Zanthoxylum Bungeanum Fruit Extract
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Hexapeptide-9
Urea
Yeast Amino Acids
Trehalose
Inositol
Taurine
Betaine
Hydroxyacetophenone
Tocopherol
Oleyl Alcohol
Ethylhexylglycerin
Pullulan
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
Sclerotium Gum
Lysolecithin
Xanthan Gum
Silica
Glucose
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Sodium Hydroxide
Chlorphenesin
Limonene
Linalool
Parfum
Water, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Vaccinium Myrtillus Seed Oil, C14-22 Alcohols, Persea Gratissima Oil, Lactobacillus Ferment, Salix Alba Extract, Zanthoxylum Bungeanum Fruit Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hexapeptide-9, Urea, Yeast Amino Acids, Trehalose, Inositol, Taurine, Betaine, Hydroxyacetophenone, Tocopherol, Oleyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Pullulan, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Sclerotium Gum, Lysolecithin, Xanthan Gum, Silica, Glucose, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Sodium Hydroxide, Chlorphenesin, Limonene, Linalool, Parfum
Butylene Glycol
Dipropylene Glycol
1,2-Hexanediol
Panthenol
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Sodium Hyaluronate
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Allantoin
Ectoin
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
2,3-Butanediol
Propanediol
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract
Madecassoside
Madecassic Acid
Ceramide NP
Beta-Glucan
Malachite Extract
Cholesterol
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
Pvm/Ma Copolymer
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Tromethamine
Carbomer
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Allantoin, Ectoin, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, 2,3-Butanediol, Trehalose, Betaine, Propanediol, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract, Madecassoside, Madecassic Acid, Ceramide NP, Beta-Glucan, Malachite Extract, Cholesterol, Pentylene Glycol, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Pvm/Ma Copolymer, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Xanthan Gum, Tromethamine, Carbomer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract
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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.
Betaine is a humectant. Like hyaluronic acid, it helps attract and retain moisture in the skin. It’s known for being gentle and for helping the skin maintain balanced hydration.
Betaine is mainly used to improve hydration and support calmer skin. It helps skin cells regulate water balance because it functions as an osmolyte.
Some studies suggest betaine may support making skin tone more even.
Fun fact: Betaine naturally exists in the skin and the body. In cosmetic products, it can be either plant-derived (most commonly from sugar beets) or synthetically produced for consistency and stability.
Betaine is also known as trimethylglycine.
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.
Pentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer is a crosslinked version of sodium hyaluronate. This just means it's linked into a 3D mesh network that lets it be more stable and sit on skin as a cohesive, gel-like film rather than sinking into skin.
A 2016 human skin study found crosslinked HA increased epidermal water content by 7.6% over the control group and reduced transepidermal water loss by 27.8%.
A follow-up clinical trial found that a topical crosslinked HA serum applied after fillers, microneedling, or chemical peels was well-tolerated and enhanced skin quality at 14 / 28 days.
More recent research suggests that concentrations as low as 0.03% can act as a penetration enhancer for other skincare actives.
Trehalose is a disaccharide made of two glucose molecules (glucose is sugar!). Trehalose is used to help moisturize skin. It also has antioxidant properties.
As a humectant, trehalose helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This helps keep your skin hydrated.
Due to its antioxidant properties, trehalose may help with signs of aging. Antioxidants help fight free-radical molecules, unstable molecules that may damage your skin.
In medicine, trehalose and hyaluronic acid are used to help treat dry eyes.
Some animals, plants, and bacteria create trehalose as a source of energy to survive freeze or lack of water.
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!
Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.