Wellage Real Hyaluronic Blue 100 Ampoule Versus Isntree Ultra-Low Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Serum

Wellage Real Hyaluronic Blue 100 Ampoule Versus Isntree Ultra-Low Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Serum

This hydrating ampoule is formulated around Panthenol and Sodium Hyaluronate to hydrate skin and strengthen the skin barrier.

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

No concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Propanediol

Pentylene Glycol

Glycerin

1,2-Hexanediol

Panthenol

Methylpropanediol

Sodium Acrylic Acid/Ma Copolymer

Butylene Glycol

Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract

Xanthan Gum

Sodium Citrate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Sodium Hyaluronate

Glycosyl Trehalose

Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate

Citric Acid

Raffinose

Adenosine

Lecithin

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

Caprylyl Glycol

Saccharide Isomerate

Polyquaternium-51

Malachite Extract

Arginine

Sodium DNA

Alpinia Galanga Extract

Biosaccharide Gum-1

Cyanocobalamin

Tocopherol

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate

Sucrose Laurate

Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Glycine

Serine

Histidine

Glycine Soja Seed Extract

Lysolecithin

Phloretin

Tetrahydropiperine

Dimethyl Isosorbide

Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer

Benzyl Glycol

Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans

Oleyl Alcohol

Beta-Glucan

Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate

Hyaluronic Acid

Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate

Water, Propanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Panthenol, Methylpropanediol, Sodium Acrylic Acid/Ma Copolymer, Butylene Glycol, Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Citrate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycosyl Trehalose, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Citric Acid, Raffinose, Adenosine, Lecithin, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Caprylyl Glycol, Saccharide Isomerate, Polyquaternium-51, Malachite Extract, Arginine, Sodium DNA, Alpinia Galanga Extract, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Cyanocobalamin, Tocopherol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sucrose Laurate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Glycine, Serine, Histidine, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Lysolecithin, Phloretin, Tetrahydropiperine, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Benzyl Glycol, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Oleyl Alcohol, Beta-Glucan, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate

Sea Water

Betaine

Carbomer

Allantoin

Tromethamine

Disodium EDTA

Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer

Glyceryl Glucoside

Potassium Hyaluronate

Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate

Hydrolyzed Calcium Hyaluronate

Sodium Sulfated Hyaluronate

Madecassoside

Sodium Stearoyl Hyaluronate

Sodium Oleoyl Hyaluronate

Sea Water, Water, Methylpropanediol, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Betaine, Pentylene Glycol, Carbomer, Caprylyl Glycol, Allantoin, Tromethamine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Panthenol, Malachite Extract, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Glyceryl Glucoside, Sodium Hyaluronate, Potassium Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Calcium Hyaluronate, Sodium Sulfated Hyaluronate, Madecassoside, Beta-Glucan, Sodium Stearoyl Hyaluronate, Sodium Oleoyl Hyaluronate

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.

1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.

It is a:

Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin

Emollient, helping to soften skin

Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas

Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives

Beta-Glucan is a soluble polysaccharide (a chain of glucose sugars) sourced from the cells walls of oats, baker's yeast, mushrooms, and seaweed.

It's a rare ingredient that pulls double-duty as a heavy-duty hydrator and skin-soothing repair agent.

On the surface, it acts as a humectant that holds water in place and reduces moisture loss for a plumper, smoother feel, while its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties make it a great pick for calming redness or sensitive skin

The more interesting story is underneath:

Despite its large molecular size, oat beta-glucan has been shown to penetrate the epidermis and reach the dermis by slipping between skin cells. Here, it interacts with fibroblasts and macrophages to nudge collagen synthesis and support wound repair.

A small 2005 split-face clinical study of 27 subjects found topical beta-glucan produced measurable reductions in wrinkle depth, height, and roughness after 8 weeks of use.

It is worth noting the trial was small and the penetration testing used frozen, irradiated skin so the anti-aging data is encouraging rather than definitive.

This ingredient gets along with pretty much everything and is typically used around 0.1-1%.

Fungal acne: This ingredient is not a food source for the Malassezia yeast because it is a glucose polysaccharide with no fatty acid or ester component.

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.

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).

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:

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid (HA) that is broken down into lower molecular weight fragments.

It's a humectant that pulls and holds water in the skin to help with hydration, plumpness, and reduce transepidermal water loss.

Because hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid is smaller in size, it can slip past your outermost layer of skin more easily than full-sized HA.

Most formulations will combine all sizes to get the best of both worlds.

Typical usage levels range from 0.01-1%. Any percentage higher than 2% might become goopy and tacky.

This ingredient is created by putting sodium hyaluronate through hydrolysis.

You might know this as 'mini' or 'ultra low-molecular weight' hyaluronic acid. The small molecule size means it is able to travel deeper in the skin.

According to studies, low molecular-weight hyaluronic acid can:

One study from 2011 found ultra-low weight HA to show pro-inflammatory properties. Another study from 2022 found it to downregulate UV-B induced inflammation.

Hydrolysis is a process of changing a molecule using water or enzymes.

This ingredient is water-soluble.

Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate is a positively charged version of hyaluronic acid.

This small change does a lot in a formula:

Regular hyaluronic acid carries a negative charge and so does the surface of your skin. This means the two repel each other and hyaluronic acid can be washed away easily. The positive charge here does the opposite: it makes the ingredient cling to your skin (also called "substantivity") so it keeps hydrating even in rinse-off products where it lays down a light, moisture-holding film.

The research backs this up too; a 2025 clinical study on a shower gel containing 0.1% positively charged hyaluronic acid increased skin hydration by 6.6% versus the baseline and 11.1% versus the placebo. This was measured 6 hours after 1 minute of contact and rinse, and on volunteers with very dry skin.

The same team's lab work showed it adhered to skin far better than unmodified hyaluronic acid (+107% vs. low molecular weight, +23% versus high molecular weight). They also found it increased two proteins tied to skin hydration, aquaporin-3 by 16% and filaggrin by 35%.

A separate 2024 study reached a similar conclusion and credited the hydrating benefits to its film-forming properties.

Both studies used the ingredient at 0.1% which also matches how much it usually shows up in products (at fractions of a percent).

One honesty note worth keeping in mind: the published research comes from the company that manufactures the ingredient so independent data would strengthen the picture. However, the results are consistent and the mechanism makes sense.

As a Hyaluronic Acid derivative, it has a well-tolerated profile and suits most skin types.

Malachite extract is created by grinding down the malachite stone.

More than half of the mineral is made up of copper, which plays a role in skin formation and regeneration processes.

Methylpropanediol is a synthetic solvent and humectant.

As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients, helping to evenly distribute ingredients throughout the product. This ingredient has also been shown to have antimicrobial properties which makes it a preservative booster.

Methylpropanediol is able to add a bit of moisture to the skin. It also helps other ingredients be better absorbed into the skin, such as salicylic 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.

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 Acetylated Hyaluronate is a type of Hyaluronic Acid.

Hyaluronic Acids help moisturize, soothe, and protect the skin.

Read about common types of Hyaluronic Acid here:

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.

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.

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.

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