Victoria Beauty Hyaluron Hydra Shot Aloe Face Gel Versus Biologique Recherche Crème Dermopurifiante Purifying Face Cream

Victoria Beauty Hyaluron Hydra Shot Aloe Face Gel Versus Biologique Recherche Crème Dermopurifiante Purifying Face Cream

This calming moisturizer is formulated around Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice and Sodium Hyaluronate to calm redness and hydrate skin.

This oil-control moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide to balance excess oil and clear breakouts.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycerin

Propylene Glycol

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Sodium Hyaluronate

Niacinamide

Mentha Piperita Oil

1,2-Hexanediol

Caprylyl Glycol

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Phenoxyethanol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Citric Acid

Sodium Benzoate

Potassium Sorbate

Limonene

Water, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sodium Hyaluronate, Niacinamide, Mentha Piperita Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Limonene

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Butylene Glycol

Sucrose Polystearate

C10-18 Triglycerides

Cetyl Alcohol

Polyamide-5

Arctium Lappa Root Extract

Betula Alba Bark Extract

Enantia Chlorantha Bark Extract

Equisetum Arvense Extract

Mimosa Tenuiflora Bark Extract

Hedera Helix Leaf/Stem Extract

Fucus Vesiculosus Extract

Centella Asiatica Extract

Spiraea Ulmaria Extract

Arnica Montana Flower Extract

Rosa Canina Fruit Extract

Achillea Millefolium Extract

Aesculus Hippocastanum Seed Extract

Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract

Thymus Vulgaris Flower/Leaf Extract

Myrtus Communis Extract

Allium Cepa Bulb Extract

Commiphora Myrrha Resin Extract

Oleanolic Acid

Glycine Soja Oil

Yeast Extract

Tocopherol

Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene

Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6

T-Butyl Alcohol

Sorbic Acid

Water, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Butylene Glycol, Sucrose Polystearate, C10-18 Triglycerides, Cetyl Alcohol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Polyamide-5, Arctium Lappa Root Extract, Betula Alba Bark Extract, Enantia Chlorantha Bark Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Mimosa Tenuiflora Bark Extract, Hedera Helix Leaf/Stem Extract, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Spiraea Ulmaria Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Achillea Millefolium Extract, Aesculus Hippocastanum Seed Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract, Thymus Vulgaris Flower/Leaf Extract, Myrtus Communis Extract, Allium Cepa Bulb Extract, Commiphora Myrrha Resin Extract, Oleanolic Acid, Glycine Soja Oil, Yeast Extract, Citric Acid, Tocopherol, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, T-Butyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Sorbic Acid

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.

Niacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.

And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.

You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.

In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.

If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.

When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.

When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.

In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).

Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.

Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.

The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.

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.

Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.

As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.

The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.

True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).

It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.

Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.

Sodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.

Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.

Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.

It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.

Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.

We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.

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!

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