Tatcha The Water Cream Versus Biossance Squalane + Probiotic Gel Moisturizer

Tatcha The Water Cream Versus Biossance Squalane + Probiotic Gel Moisturizer

This pore-care moisturizer is formulated around Saccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate and Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract to refine the look of pores and hydrate skin.

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

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Saccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate

Dimethicone

Propanediol

Glycerin

Diglycerin

Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Cladosiphon Okamuranus Extract

PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone

Gold

Belamcanda Chinensis Root Extract

Rosa Multiflora Fruit Extract

Houttuynia Cordata Extract

Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate

Lecithin

Pistacia Lentiscus Gum

Sodium Chloride

Sodium Citrate

Mica

Tin Oxide

Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer

Dimethicone/Phenyl Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Tocopherol

Butylene Glycol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Dipropylene Glycol

Parfum

Alcohol

Phenoxyethanol

Limonene

Linalool

Citral

CI 77891

Water, Saccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate, Dimethicone, Propanediol, Glycerin, Diglycerin, Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Cladosiphon Okamuranus Extract, PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Gold, Belamcanda Chinensis Root Extract, Rosa Multiflora Fruit Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lecithin, Pistacia Lentiscus Gum, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Citrate, Mica, Tin Oxide, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Dimethicone/Phenyl Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Tocopherol, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Parfum, Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Limonene, Linalool, Citral, CI 77891

Squalane

Lepidium Sativum Sprout Extract

Sodium Acrylates Copolymer

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer

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

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

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.

Lecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.

Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:

It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.

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:

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