Dr. Botanicals Advanced Light Facial Serum Essence
Works for
MoisturizingPanthenol, Palmaria palmata extract + 4 moreWorks well
“Enriched with elderflower, vitamin B5, echinacea, and aloe vera, this serum will deeply soothe, hydrate, nourish, and repair your stressed-out skin.”
This product contains good ingredients to attract water to the upper layer of the skin. These ingredients are called "humectants": glycerin, aloe barbadensis leaf extract.
When humectants are on the surface of the skin, they “pull in” the moisture from the outside environment, or from within deeper layers of the skin. If the air is dry, humectants can speed up the moisture loss from the skin. This is why it is a good idea to use another product on top of this one to help "seal in" the moisture (look for ingredients like dimethicone, squalane, oils and butters).
The following ingredients in this product are especially good for supporting the skin barrier and helping with the hydration level: panthenol
Can it cause trouble?
Irritancy1 strong irritant: ParfumMedium risk
Comedogenic1 ingredient rated 2 or more on the 0–5 pore-clogging scale1 flagged
User reviews
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Ingredients
Filter by role to see what each ingredient is doing.
Water~40–60%
Butylene glycol~5.7–8.6%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Used to create a nice product texture and help delivery of other ingredients. Might be somewhat helpful in attracting water to the upper layer of the skin
More about Butylene glycolAlmond oil peg-8 esters~3.4–5.2%
Olive oil peg-7 esters~2.5–3.8%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
Helps oil and water mix together and works as a cleansing agent
More about Olive oil peg-7 estersPeg-40 hydrogenated castor oil~2–3%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
Helps oil and water mix together
More about Peg-40 hydrogenated castor oilVitis vinifera fruit water~1.6–2.4%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Aloe barbadensis leaf extract~1.4–2.2%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
Traditionally used to treat sunburns, dermatitis and inflammation, but evidence for its effectiveness is lacking. The extract can contain humectants that help attract water into the skin
More about Aloe barbadensis leaf extractPhenoxyethanol~0.5–1%
- Irritation risk
- Low
A preservative. It helps prevent bacterial growth in cosmetic products
More about PhenoxyethanolBenzyl alcohol~0.5–1%
- Irritation risk
- High
A preservative. Can be used to mask unpleasant smell. Can be irritating
More about Benzyl alcoholTocopheryl acetate~0.6–1.35%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
A more stable but less bio-available form of vitamin E compared to Tocopherol. Might help moisturize and protect the skin from free radicals, but mostly used in low concentrations to stabilize other ingredients.
More about Tocopheryl acetatePalmaria palmata extract~0.45–1.05%
- Irritation risk
- Low
- Comedogenicity
- 3/5
Red algae extract that helps attract water to the upper layer of the skin
More about Palmaria palmata extractPropylene glycol~0.35–0.85%
- Irritation risk
- High
Helps oil and water mix together and can enhance the penetration of other ingredients into the skin. It can be irritating
More about Propylene glycolGlycerin~0.35–0.8%
- Irritation risk
- Low
One of the best moisturizing ingredients. Naturally present in skin. It attracts water to the upper layer of the skin working as a humectant
More about GlycerinPanthenol~0.15–0.65%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Helps attract water to the upper layer of the skin and can help improve skin barrier function
More about PanthenolEthylhexylglycerin~0.1–0.45%
Disodium edta~0.1–0.3%
Dehydroacetic acid~0.05–0.2%
Parfum~0.01–0.1%
- Irritation risk
- High
An aromatic blend of unspecified and possibly irritating ingredients
More about ParfumSambucus nigra flower extract~0.05–0.25%
- Irritation risk
- High
A plant extract that might help neutralize free radicals in skin
More about Sambucus nigra flower extractIngredient list view
Water, Butylene glycol, Almond oil peg-8 esters, Olive oil peg-7 esters, Peg-40 hydrogenated castor oil, Vitis vinifera fruit water, Aloe barbadensis leaf extract, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl alcohol, Tocopheryl acetate, Palmaria palmata extract, Propylene glycol, Glycerin, Panthenol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium edta, Dehydroacetic acid, Parfum, Sambucus nigra flower extract
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Worth comparing, line by line.
Match % combines shared ingredients, the first five ingredients, shared actives and hero ingredients, irritancy (lower counts in the alternative's favour), texture and body area. Only products in the same routine step are compared.
| Dr. BotanicalsAdvanced Light Facial Serum EssenceYOUR PRODUCT | Jan MariniAge Intervention Regeneration Booster | Revision SkincareAdvanced Pigment Corrector+ | Oh K!Chok Chok Illuminating Serum | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match | — | 65% | 64% | 63% |
| Price | — | $235.00 | $165.00 | $20.12 |
| Shared key ingredients | — | 2 of 4 | 3 of 4 | 2 of 4 |
| Key difference | — | Myristoyl Pentapeptide-8 | Acetyl Hexapeptide-1 | Niacinamide |
| Irritancy | Medium | Low | Medium | Low |
| Drying alcohol | — | — | — | — |
| View product | Shop | Shop | Shop |
More alternatives: Olay Regenerist MAX Wrinkle SerumSkincall Daily Triple Serum
Sources cited in this review
Every concentration estimate and effectiveness label is anchored to one of these 10 studies and safety reviews.
- 1
- 2Surfactants and experimental irritant contact dermatitisncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 3Propylene Glycolpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 4Skin-sensitizing and irritant properties of propylene glycolonlinelibrary.wiley.com
- 5
- 6Skin moisturizing effects of panthenol-based formulationspdfs.semanticscholar.org
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