Educational guide
ZO Skin Health Daily Power Defense Versus Biologique Recherche Crème Dermopurifiante Purifying Face Cream
ZO Skin Health Daily Power Defense Versus Biologique Recherche Crème Dermopurifiante Purifying Face Cream This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Laminaria Digitata Extract and Beta-Glucan to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin. This oil-
This guide cannot diagnose a condition or recommend a personal treatment plan. Discuss medical questions with a qualified professional.
ZO Skin Health Daily Power Defense Versus Biologique Recherche Crème Dermopurifiante Purifying Face Cream
This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Laminaria Digitata Extract and Beta-Glucan to strengthen the skin barrier 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
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
Cetearyl Isononanoate
Glycerin
Pentylene Glycol
Cetearyl Alcohol
Steareth-20
Safflower Oil/Palm Oil Aminopropanediol Esters
Laminaria Digitata Extract
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract
Arabidopsis Thaliana Extract
Marrubium Vulgare Meristem Cell Culture
Leontopodium Alpinum Meristem Cell Culture
Retinyl Palmitate
Tocopheryl Acetate
Tocopherol
Micrococcus Lysate
Caprylyl Glycol
Hexylene Glycol
Lactose
Galactoarabinan
Lecithin
Schizophyllan
Beta-Glucan
1,2-Hexanediol
Carbomer
Cellulose
Maltodextrin
C14-22 Alcohols
Cetearyl Glucoside
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxide
Phenoxyethanol
Ethylhexylglycerin
Sodium Benzoate
Parfum
CI 77007
Limonene
Water, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Steareth-20, Safflower Oil/Palm Oil Aminopropanediol Esters, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Arabidopsis Thaliana Extract, Marrubium Vulgare Meristem Cell Culture, Leontopodium Alpinum Meristem Cell Culture, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Micrococcus Lysate, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Lactose, Galactoarabinan, Lecithin, Schizophyllan, Beta-Glucan, 1,2-Hexanediol, Carbomer, Cellulose, Maltodextrin, C14-22 Alcohols, Cetearyl Glucoside, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum, CI 77007, Limonene
Propylene Glycol
Butylene Glycol
Sucrose Polystearate
C10-18 Triglycerides
Cetyl Alcohol
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
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
T-Butyl Alcohol
Potassium Sorbate
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
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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).
Dicaprylyl Carbonate comes from carbonic acid and caprylyl alcohol, a fatty alcohol. It is an emollient and gives skin a velvet feel. The sources of Dicaprylyl Carbonate may be synthetic or from animals.
As an emollient, Dicaprylyl Carbonate creates a film on the skin. This film traps moisture in, keeping your skin soft and hydrated.
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.
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.
Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
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!