The INKEY List Ectoin Hydro-Barrier Serum Versus BYOMA Phyto Mucin Glow Serum

The INKEY List Ectoin Hydro-Barrier Serum Versus BYOMA Phyto Mucin Glow Serum

This barrier-repair serum is formulated around Ectoin and Panthenol to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

This hydrating serum is formulated around Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract and Polyglutamic Acid to hydrate skin and strengthen the skin barrier.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Propanediol

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Coconut Alkanes

Ectoin 2%

Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Maltodextrin

Phenoxyethanol

Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Panthenol

Cetearyl Alcohol

Sclerotium Gum

Xanthan Gum

Glyceryl Stearate

Jojoba Esters

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Sodium Citrate

Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax

Citric Acid

Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate

Avena Sativa Kernel Extract

Glycerin

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Triethyl Citrate

Pentylene Glycol

Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate

Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer

Ceramide NP

Hyaluronic Acid

Ceramide AP

Cholesterol

Phytosphingosine

Behenic Acid

Sodium Levulinate

Polyglycerin-3

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate

Ceramide EOP

Water, Propanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Coconut Alkanes, Ectoin 2%, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Maltodextrin, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Panthenol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sclerotium Gum, Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Stearate, Jojoba Esters, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Citrate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Citric Acid, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Glycerin, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Triethyl Citrate, Pentylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Ceramide NP, Hyaluronic Acid, Ceramide AP, Cholesterol, Phytosphingosine, Behenic Acid, Sodium Levulinate, Polyglycerin-3, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Ceramide EOP

Butylene Glycol

Methylpropanediol

1,2-Hexanediol

Glyceryl Polymethacrylate

Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract

Propylene Glycol

Laminaria Japonica Extract

Hibiscus Esculentus Fruit Extract

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Corchorus Olitorius Leaf Extract

Arginine

Nelumbo Nucifera Root Extract

Hydroxyacetophenone

Polyglutamic Acid

Glycereth-25 PCA Isostearate

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Betaine

Carbomer

Stearic Acid

Oleic Acid

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Sodium Lactate

Sodium Polyacrylate

Lactic Acid

Caprylyl Glycol

Caprylhydroxamic Acid

Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Methylpropanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Propanediol, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract, Propylene Glycol, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Hibiscus Esculentus Fruit Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Corchorus Olitorius Leaf Extract, Arginine, Panthenol, Nelumbo Nucifera Root Extract, Hydroxyacetophenone, Polyglutamic Acid, Glycereth-25 PCA Isostearate, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ceramide NP, Betaine, Cholesterol, Carbomer, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Stearic Acid, Oleic Acid, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Lactate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Lactic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylhydroxamic Acid

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.

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.

Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.

In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.

While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.

Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.

This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.

This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.

Ceramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.

Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.

This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.

A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.

Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.

Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.

Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.

Cholesterol is a lipid that is naturally found in human skin and is one of the three key components of your skin barrier. In skincare, it is an emollient and barrier-repairing ingredient.

It works by fitting directly into the lipid layers of skin to help restore structure and reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL).

This is a great ingredient for dry, compromised, or aging skin; our skin starts to produce less cholesterol with age.

Research shows cholesterol works best in combination with ceramides and fatty acids, the other two major components in your skin barrier.

Cholesterol is also a well-establish penetration enhancer and can help other actives absorb more effectively.

Cosmetic-grade cholesterol is usually derived from lanolin but plant and synthetic options also exist. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about their source of cholesterol.

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.

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a glycosaminoglycan (basically a long sugar chain) that your skin already makes on its own. In your skin, HA lives in the extracellular matrix and acts as the body's moisture reservoir.

Topically, HA is a humectant that binds water and helps skin look more plump, smooth, and hydrated.

The only catch is that HA isn't a single thing; it actually comes in a wide range of molecular weights (~50 - 2,000+ kDA) and size matters.

Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.

This is why the best HA serums blend the two sizes together so you get the best of both worlds.

The majority of cosmetic HA is produced by bacterial fermentation, typically using Streptococcus or Bacillus strains. Typical use levels in skincare sit around 0.1-2%.

A clinical study using a 0.2% low-molecular weight HA gel showed improvement in facial seborrheic dermatitis with excellent tolerance.

These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:

Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.

There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.

D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.

Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):

Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.

This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.

Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.

This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.

Phytosphingosine is a phospholipid naturally found in our skin as a building block for ceramides.. It helps moisturize, soothe, and protect skin.

Phytosphingosine contributes to your skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF). The NMF is responsible for hydration, a strong barrier, and plasticity. Our NMF decreases with age. Increasing NMF leads to more healthy and hydrated skin.

Studies show products formulated with NMF ingredients help strengthen our skin's barrier. Having a healthy skin barrier reduces irritation and increases hydration. Our skin barrier is responsible for having plump and firm skin. It also helps protect our skin against infection, allergies, and inflammation.

Fun fact: Phytosphingosine is abundant in plants and fungi.

More ingredients that help boost collagen in skin:

Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.

It’s often used to:

Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.

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:

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!

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.

Similar Comparisons