Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Serum Concentrate Versus Glow Recipe Plum Plump Hyaluronic Acid Serum

Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Serum Concentrate Versus Glow Recipe Plum Plump Hyaluronic Acid Serum

This barrier-repair serum is formulated around Trehalose to strengthen the skin barrier and soften the look of wrinkles.

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

Alcohol Denat.

Glycerin

Butylene Glycol

PEG/PPG-17/4 Dimethyl Ether

Triethylhexanoin

Cyclohexasiloxane

Dimethicone

Phenoxyethanol

Trehalose

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer

PEG-14m

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Tocopheryl Acetate

PEG/PPG-14/7 Dimethyl Ether

Rosa Damascena Flower Water

Parfum

Disodium EDTA

Potassium Hydroxide

Silica

Isoceteth-10

Linalool

Lauryl Betaine

Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract

Geraniol

Citronellol

Origanum Majorana Leaf Extract

Nelumbo Nucifera Germ Extract

Alcohol

Sodium Carboxymethyl Beta-Glucan

BHT

Thymus Serpyllum Extract

Perilla Ocymoides Leaf Extract

Sodium Bicarbonate

Iris Florentina Root Extract

Sodium Benzoate

Ganoderma Lucidum Stem Extract

Water, Alcohol Denat., Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, PEG/PPG-17/4 Dimethyl Ether, Triethylhexanoin, Cyclohexasiloxane, Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Trehalose, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer, PEG-14m, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate, PEG/PPG-14/7 Dimethyl Ether, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Parfum, Disodium EDTA, Potassium Hydroxide, Silica, Isoceteth-10, Linalool, Lauryl Betaine, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Geraniol, Citronellol, Origanum Majorana Leaf Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Germ Extract, Alcohol, Sodium Carboxymethyl Beta-Glucan, BHT, Thymus Serpyllum Extract, Perilla Ocymoides Leaf Extract, Sodium Bicarbonate, Iris Florentina Root Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Ganoderma Lucidum Stem Extract

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

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

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.

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.

Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.

Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.

For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.

The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.

For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.

One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.

Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.

Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.

The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.

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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