Biossance Squalane + Probiotic Gel Moisturizer Versus iNNBEAUTY PROJECT 10 + 10 Moisturizer with 10% Vitamin C + 10% Peptide Complex + Ceramides

Biossance Squalane + Probiotic Gel Moisturizer Versus iNNBEAUTY PROJECT 10 + 10 Moisturizer with 10% Vitamin C + 10% Peptide Complex + Ceramides

This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Squalane to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.

This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 to soften the look of wrinkles and brighten dull-looking skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Squalane

Lepidium Sativum Sprout Extract

Sodium Acrylates Copolymer

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Phenoxyethanol

Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer

Lecithin

Caprylyl Glycol

Diheptyl Succinate

Isoeicosane

Allantoin

Bisabolol

Sodium Phytate

Glycine Soja Sterols

Linoleic Acid

Phospholipids

Hansenula/Kloeckera/Lactobacillus/Lactococcus/Leuconostoc/Pediococcus/Saccharomyces/Fig/Lemon Ferment

Chondrus Crispus Extract

Sorbitan Oleate

Cellulose Gum

Chitosan

1,2-Hexanediol

Sodium Hyaluronate

Citric Acid

Potassium Sorbate

Water, Glycerin, Squalane, Lepidium Sativum Sprout Extract, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Phenoxyethanol, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Lecithin, Caprylyl Glycol, Diheptyl Succinate, Isoeicosane, Allantoin, Bisabolol, Sodium Phytate, Glycine Soja Sterols, Linoleic Acid, Phospholipids, Hansenula/Kloeckera/Lactobacillus/Lactococcus/Leuconostoc/Pediococcus/Saccharomyces/Fig/Lemon Ferment, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Sorbitan Oleate, Cellulose Gum, Chitosan, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate

Dimethicone

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Caprylic/Capric/Myristic/Stearic Triglyceride

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

Tapioca Starch

Cetearyl Alcohol

Arachidyl Alcohol

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate

Tridecyl Trimellitate

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Ceramide NP

Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside

Phytosterols

Glucose

Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Behenyl Alcohol

Polyisobutene

Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2

Hydroxyacetophenone

Cetearyl Glucoside

Arachidyl Glucoside

Carrageenan

Sorbitan Laurate

C18-36 Acid Glycol Ester

C18-36 Acid Triglyceride

Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Caprylic/Capric/Myristic/Stearic Triglyceride, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Tapioca Starch, Cetearyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Alcohol, Squalane, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Tridecyl Trimellitate, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Ceramide NP, Caprylyl Glycol, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Linoleic Acid, Citric Acid, Phytosterols, Glucose, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Behenyl Alcohol, Polyisobutene, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Hydroxyacetophenone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Arachidyl Glucoside, Carrageenan, Sorbitan Laurate, Sodium Phytate, C18-36 Acid Glycol Ester, C18-36 Acid Triglyceride

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

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.

Linoleic Acid is also known as Vitamin F. It is a fatty acid with emollient and skin conditioning properties.

Our top layer of skin, or epidermis, naturally contains high amounts of linoleic acid.

Your body uses linoleic acid to build ceramides and prostaglandins. Ceramides keep your skin's barrier hydrated and strong while prosaglandins help control inflammation and healing.

Needless to say, linoleic acid is crucial for having a strong skin barrier.

One study found applying linoleic acid rich sunflower oil to be more effective at repairing the skin barrier than olive oil.

This ingredient can also help treat acne by softening sebum to prevent clogged pores. Another study found using 2.5% linoleic acid gel for 4 weeks showed a 25% reduction in small comedones.

Studies show it can also help lighten hyperpigmentation or sun spots by disrupting the melanin production process. It also helps your skin shed melanin pigment from your skin caused by UV exposure.

Due to its role in the production of the fatty acid prostaglandin, linoleic acid can also help reduce inflammation and support wound healing.

Fun fact: Linoleic acid is an essential fatty acid. This means our bodies cannot create it on its own and we need to get it through foods such as nuts and vegetable oils.

Just know this ingredient is not always fungal-acne safe because it is a long-chain fatty acid (with 18 carbon atoms) that directly feeds the Malassezia yeast responsible for fungal acne.

Sodium Phytate is the synthetic salt form of phytic acid. Phytic acid is an antioxidant and can be found in plant seeds.

Sodium Phytate is a chelating agent. Chelating agents help prevent metals from binding to water. This helps stabilize the ingredients and the product.

Squalane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).

It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.

This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.

Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.

Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.

No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).

Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.

This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.

Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.

Read more about squalene with an "e".

Though squalane is often called an oil, it’s technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.

The term “oil-free” isn’t regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.

Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.

A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.

The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.

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!

Similar Comparisons