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. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

Glycerin

Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting

Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.

A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.

As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.

Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.

Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.

In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.

This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Learn more about Glycerin

Butylene Glycol

Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

It is a solvent, meaning that it helps to dissolve other ingredients. This also enhances the absorption of the product into one's skin.
It is a humectant, which means that it helps attract moisture into the skin.
It helps improve product application.
It has mild preservative properties.

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.

1,2-Hexanediol

Skin Conditioning, Solvent

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

Ethylhexylglycerin

Skin Conditioning

Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.

You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.

Carbomer

Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming

Carbomer is a polymer of acrylic acid. Its main role is to create a gel consistency.

A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.

Ingredient Ratings

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these products.

1025 Dokdo Water Gel Mask Sheet

Birch Juice Moisturizing Mask

Pine Calming Cica Sheet Mask

Mugwort Calming Sheet Mask

When to use

Round Lab 1025 Dokdo Water Gel Mask Sheet 35 ingredients

Round Lab Birch Juice Moisturizing Mask 22 ingredients

Round Lab Pine Calming Cica Sheet Mask 31 ingredients

Round Lab Mugwort Calming Sheet Mask 21 ingredients

22 Routines

23% use in am

77% use in pm

73% use every day

8 Routines

13% use in am

88% use in pm

50% use every day

41 Routines

12% use in am

88% use in pm

63% use every day

When to use See routines that use it ->

6 Routines

33% use in am

67% use in pm

67% use every day

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Round Lab 1025 Dokdo Water Gel Mask Sheet 35 ingredients

4.0 /5

from 4 ratings

Absorbs Well (2) Hydrating (2) Great Value (1)

rinzaoner

25 days ago

Review

Wowee they weren't kidding when they called this a Watery gel mask. She is WET but in a good way. You get a lot of essence here, and 10min with the mask left my skin feeling super hydrated and smoothed out. Fine lines be gone!

#great value

#hydrating

#absorbs well

#no scent

Round Lab

1025 Dokdo Water Gel Mask Sheet

sacante

16 days ago

Review

hands down the best Hydrating mask. left with slightly more plump skin. makeup lays easier and helps just a tiny bit with fine lines. Best of all it doesn't trigfer my acne

#absorbs well

Round Lab

1025 Dokdo Water Gel Mask Sheet

Round Lab Birch Juice Moisturizing Mask 22 ingredients

Birch Juice Moisturizing Mask hasn't been rated yet.

Rate it now

Round Lab Pine Calming Cica Sheet Mask 31 ingredients

5.0 /5

from 2 ratings

Great Value (2) Hydrating (2) Absorbs Well (1)

Maddie

4 months ago

Review

Love this product!! This works really well when calming down my irritated acne and providing hydration. It doesn’t trigger my fungal acne at all. I really recommend this.

Since there is a lot of serum still left over I like to put a couple of toner pads in there and let it soak up the serum so I can use them again as a face mask.

It is quite cheap on Stylevana UK in case you want to buy it Show more

#great value

#hydrating

#absorbs well

#light scent