Educational guide
Biossance Squalane + Probiotic Gel Moisturizer Versus Juice Beauty Green Apple Age Defy Moisturizer
Biossance Squalane + Probiotic Gel Moisturizer Versus Juice Beauty Green Apple Age Defy Moisturizer This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Squalane to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin. This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around
This guide cannot diagnose a condition or recommend a personal treatment plan. Discuss medical questions with a qualified professional.
Biossance Squalane + Probiotic Gel Moisturizer Versus Juice Beauty Green Apple Age Defy Moisturizer
This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Squalane to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 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
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Glyceryl Stearate
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Stearyl Alcohol
Cetyl Alcohol
Myristyl Myristate
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Pyrus Malus Juice
Vitis Vinifera Juice
Citrus Limon Juice
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Borago Officinalis Seed Oil
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Xanthan Gum
Algae Extract
Persea Gratissima Oil
Ubiquinone
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Salix Alba Bark Extract
Panthenol
Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil
Hyaluronic Acid
Lonicera Caprifolium Extract
Lonicera Japonica Callus Extract
Saccharum Officinarum Extract
Thioctic Acid
Tocopherol
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil
Cinnamomum Camphora Bark Oil
Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil
Ethyl Linalool
Citral
Limonene
Geraniol
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glycerin, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Myristyl Myristate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Squalane, Caprylyl Glycol, Pyrus Malus Juice, Vitis Vinifera Juice, Citrus Limon Juice, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Xanthan Gum, Algae Extract, Persea Gratissima Oil, Ubiquinone, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Allantoin, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Panthenol, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Hyaluronic Acid, Lonicera Caprifolium Extract, Lonicera Japonica Callus Extract, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Thioctic Acid, Tocopherol, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil, Cinnamomum Camphora Bark Oil, Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil, Ethyl Linalool, Citral, Limonene, Geraniol
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
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%.
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).
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.
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.