The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Serum Versus Beauty Pie Triple Hyaluronic Acid + Peptide Serum

The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Serum Versus Beauty Pie Triple Hyaluronic Acid + Peptide Serum

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

This hydrating serum is formulated around Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid and Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester to hydrate skin and soften the look of wrinkles.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Propanediol

Sodium Hyaluronate

Glycerin

Butylene Glycol

Phenoxyethanol

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Hyaluronic Acid

Carbomer

Sodium Lactate

Polysorbate 20

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Water, Propanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Hyaluronic Acid, Carbomer, Sodium Lactate, Polysorbate 20, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Methylpropanediol

Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate

Xylitylglucoside

Anhydroxylitol

1,2-Hexanediol

Xylitol

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Seed Extract

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Sorbitan Laurate

Xanthan Gum

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Caprylyl Glycol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate

Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester

Alteromonas Ferment Extract

Phenethyl Alcohol

Silanetriol

Citric Acid

Sorbic Acid

Glucose

Sodium Hydroxide

Chondrus Crispus Extract

Water, Methylpropanediol, Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Xylitol, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Seed Extract, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sorbitan Laurate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Xanthan Gum, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Alteromonas Ferment Extract, Phenethyl Alcohol, Hyaluronic Acid, Silanetriol, Citric Acid, Sorbic Acid, Glucose, Sodium Hydroxide, Chondrus Crispus 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.

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.

Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.

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:

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.

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!

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