What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Betula Platyphylla Japonica Juice
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Viola Mandshurica Flower Extract
Antioxidant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Laminaria Japonica Extract
Skin Protecting
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientSolanum Melongena Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningOcimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCorallina Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Water, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Betula Platyphylla Japonica Juice, Glyceryl Glucoside, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract, Viola Mandshurica Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Ascorbic Acid, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Disodium EDTA
Reviews
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
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.
Learn more about GlycerinHyaluronic acid (HA) is a glycosaminoglycan (basically a long sugar chain) that your skin already makes on its own. In your skin, HA lives in the extracellular matrix and acts as the body's moisture reservoir.
Topically, HA is a humectant that binds water and helps skin look more plump, smooth, and hydrated.
The only catch is that HA isn't a single thing; it actually comes in a wide range of molecular weights (~50 - 2,000+ kDA) and size matters.
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
This is why the best HA serums blend the two sizes together so you get the best of both worlds.
The majority of cosmetic HA is produced by bacterial fermentation, typically using Streptococcus or Bacillus strains. Typical use levels in skincare sit around 0.1-2%.
A clinical study using a 0.2% low-molecular weight HA gel showed improvement in facial seborrheic dermatitis with excellent tolerance.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Learn more about Hyaluronic AcidHydroxyacetophenone is antioxidant with skin conditioning and soothing properties. It also boosts the efficiency of preservatives.
Though naturally occuring in Norwegian spruce needles, this ingredient is usually synthetically created.
This ingredient is not irritating or sensitizing. Recent research also suggests it may have skin-brightening effects through tyrosinase inhibition.
Learn more about HydroxyacetophenonePentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolWater. 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!
Learn more about Water
