What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Chlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingCentella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Chitosan
Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract
Skin ConditioningPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingBetaine
Humectant
Glucose
Humectant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingAcetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Fructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Fructose
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Glutathione
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Asiaticoside
Antioxidant
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ferulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Disodium EDTA
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Zea Mays Starch, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Chitosan, Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Betaine, Glucose, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Acetyl Glucosamine, Fructooligosaccharides, Fructose, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Allantoin, Dipropylene Glycol, Adenosine, Glutathione, Madecassoside, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Beta-Glucan, Cholesterol, Asiaticoside, Ascorbic Acid, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Ceramide NP, Tocopherol, Ferulic Acid, Lactic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Carbomer, CI 77491
Water
Skin ConditioningHyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Betaine
Humectant
Diglycerin
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Acetyl Glycyl Beta-Alanine
Skin ConditioningXylitylglucoside
Humectant
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Glucose
Humectant
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Glyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Gleditsia Triacanthos Seed Extract
Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract
Antimicrobial
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Sodium Dna
Skin Conditioning
Water, Hyaluronic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Tranexamic Acid, Betaine, Diglycerin, Glycerin, Acetyl Glycyl Beta-Alanine, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Glucose, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Glyceryl Glucoside, Phenoxyethanol, Gleditsia Triacanthos Seed Extract, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Chlorphenesin, Sodium Dna
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Betaine is a humectant. Like hyaluronic acid, it helps attract and retain moisture in the skin. Itβs known for being gentle and for helping the skin maintain balanced hydration.
Betaine is mainly used to improve hydration and support calmer skin. It helps skin cells regulate water balance because it functions as an osmolyte.
Some studies suggest betaine may support making skin tone more even.
Fun fact: Betaine naturally exists in the skin and the body. In cosmetic products, it can be either plant-derived (most commonly from sugar beets) or synthetically produced for consistency and stability.
Betaine is also known as trimethylglycine.
Learn more about BetaineButylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolGlucose is a simple sugar (a monosaccharide). In skincare, it is mostly a humectant and skin conditioning agent.
Mechanistically, it has multiple hydroxyl groups that hydrogen-bond to water. This pulls moisture into the upper layers of skin to keep the surface soft and hydrated.
It's worth knowing sugars are already a natural component of the skin's NMF (natural moisturizing factor) so it's a molecule that your stratum corneum is well-acquainted with.
Just so you know, glucose is hydrophilic (water-loving) and the stratum corneum is a strong barrier to hydrophilic compounds. This just means penetration is slow and most of the action is happening on the surface.
Gram-to-gram, glucose is not as efficient as a humectant as glycerin. This is why you'll likely see glycose paired with stronger humectants for a bigger hydration payoff.
In skincare, glucose is typically derived from corn or other starch sources.
Learn more about GlucoseGlycerin (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 GlycerinWater. 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
