Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Serum Versus Glow Recipe Plum Plump Hyaluronic Acid Serum

Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Serum Versus Glow Recipe Plum Plump Hyaluronic Acid Serum

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

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

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Saccharide Isomerate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Sodium PCA

Hydrolyzed Silk

Algae Extract

Mel Extract

Saccharomyces/Iron Ferment

Saccharomyces/Copper Ferment

Saccharomyces/Silicon Ferment

Saccharomyces/Zinc Ferment

Saccharomyces/Magnesium Ferment

Eriodictyon Crassifolium Leaf Extract

Olea Europaea Leaf Extract

Opuntia Tuna Flower/Stem Extract

Urea

Trehalose

Sorbitol

Glycerin

Citric Acid

Sodium Citrate

Propylene Glycol

Hexylene Glycol

Butylene Glycol

Polyquaternium-51

Triacetin

Pentylene Glycol

Caprylyl Glycol

Sodium Benzoate

Potassium Sorbate

Disodium EDTA

Potassium Benzoate

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Saccharide Isomerate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium PCA, Hydrolyzed Silk, Algae Extract, Mel Extract, Saccharomyces/Iron Ferment, Saccharomyces/Copper Ferment, Saccharomyces/Silicon Ferment, Saccharomyces/Zinc Ferment, Saccharomyces/Magnesium Ferment, Eriodictyon Crassifolium Leaf Extract, Olea Europaea Leaf Extract, Opuntia Tuna Flower/Stem Extract, Urea, Trehalose, Sorbitol, Glycerin, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Propylene Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Polyquaternium-51, Triacetin, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Disodium EDTA, Potassium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol

Propanediol

Pleiogynium Timoriense Fruit Extract

Podocarpus Elatus Fruit Extract

Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract

Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate

Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide

Acacia Seyal Gum Extract

Sr-Spider Polypeptide-1

Pantothenic Acid

Phospholipids

Sodium Hydroxide

Spirulina Platensis Extract

Raphanus Sativus Root Extract

Chlorphenesin

Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate

Polyglyceryl-6 Caprylate

Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

1,2-Hexanediol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Hydroxyacetophenone

Carrageenan

Xanthan Gum

Sodium Glycolate

Sodium Formate

Parfum

Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Pleiogynium Timoriense Fruit Extract, Podocarpus Elatus Fruit Extract, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide, Acacia Seyal Gum Extract, Sr-Spider Polypeptide-1, Pantothenic Acid, Phospholipids, Sodium Hydroxide, Spirulina Platensis Extract, Raphanus Sativus Root Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Polyglyceryl-6 Caprylate, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Potassium Sorbate, Propylene Glycol, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Carrageenan, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Glycolate, Sodium Formate, Phenoxyethanol, 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.

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.

Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.

Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).

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.

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%.

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.

Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.

This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.

Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.

You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.

Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.

As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.

The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.

True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).

It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.

Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.

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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