Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Multi-Recovery Complex Serum Versus Medik8 Hydr8 B5 Intense

Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Multi-Recovery Complex Serum Versus Medik8 Hydr8 B5 Intense

This barrier-repair serum is formulated around Bifida Ferment Lysate and Sodium Hyaluronate to strengthen the skin barrier and soften the look of wrinkles.

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

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Bifida Ferment Lysate

PEG-8

Propanediol

Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane

Methyl Gluceth-20

Glycereth-26

PEG-75

Butylene Glycol

Adansonia Digitata Seed Extract

Tripeptide-32

Sodium Hyaluronate

Faex Extract

Lactobacillus Ferment

Cola Acuminata Seed Extract

Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract

Hydrolyzed Algin

Pantethine

Caffeine

Lecithin

Sodium Rna

Bisabolol

Squalane

Glycerin

Oleth-3 Phosphate

Caprylyl Glycol

Oleth-3

Oleth-5

Choleth-24

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Jojoba Wax PEG-120 Esters

Ceteth-24

Tocopheryl Acetate

Carbomer

Triethanolamine

Tetrasodium EDTA

BHT

Xanthan Gum

Potassium Sorbate

Disodium EDTA

Phenoxyethanol

CI 14700

CI 19140

Water, Bifida Ferment Lysate, PEG-8, Propanediol, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Methyl Gluceth-20, Glycereth-26, PEG-75, Butylene Glycol, Adansonia Digitata Seed Extract, Tripeptide-32, Sodium Hyaluronate, Faex Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment, Cola Acuminata Seed Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Hydrolyzed Algin, Pantethine, Caffeine, Lecithin, Sodium Rna, Bisabolol, Squalane, Glycerin, Oleth-3 Phosphate, Caprylyl Glycol, Oleth-3, Oleth-5, Choleth-24, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Jojoba Wax PEG-120 Esters, Ceteth-24, Tocopheryl Acetate, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Tetrasodium EDTA, BHT, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, CI 14700, CI 19140

Panthenol

Glyceryl Glucoside

Propylene Glycol

Sodium PCA

Amelanchier Alnifolia Fruit Extract

Urea

Calcium Pantothenate

Trehalose

Taurine

Creatine

Diglycerin

Acetyl Glucosamine

Daucus Carota Sativa Juice

Glycine Soja Seed Extract

Lysine Hcl

Alanine

Arginine

Histidine Hcl

Biosaccharide Gum-1

Serine

Allantoin

Proline

Lactic Acid

Ethylhexylglycerin

Hydroxyacetophenone

Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein

Lysine

PCA

Sorbitol

Glutamic Acid

Threonine

Valine

Leucine

Glycine

Isoleucine

Phenylalanine

Sodium Benzoate

Citric Acid

Water, Panthenol, Glyceryl Glucoside, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycerin, Sodium PCA, Amelanchier Alnifolia Fruit Extract, Urea, Calcium Pantothenate, Trehalose, Taurine, Creatine, Diglycerin, Acetyl Glucosamine, Daucus Carota Sativa Juice, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Lysine Hcl, Alanine, Arginine, Histidine Hcl, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Phenoxyethanol, Serine, Allantoin, Proline, Lactic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Lysine, PCA, Sorbitol, Glutamic Acid, Threonine, Valine, Leucine, Glycine, Isoleucine, Phenylalanine, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Citric 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.

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.

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.

Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.

This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.

Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.

You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.

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:

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

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!

Similar Comparisons