What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Houttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Althaea Rosea Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Gaultheria Procumbens Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Trehalose
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Biosaccharide Gum-4
Skin Conditioning
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Althaea Rosea Flower Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Gaultheria Procumbens Leaf Extract, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Allantoin, Trehalose, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Acetyl Glucosamine, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Tocopherol, Biosaccharide Gum-4, Caffeine, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA
Houttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Water
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningEnantia Chlorantha Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Parfum
Masking
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
Antioxidant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
2,3-Butanediol
HumectantRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide
Emulsion Stabilising
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Oleanolic Acid
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
Emollient
Ceramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Limonene
Perfuming
Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Hydroxyacetophenone, Water, Xanthan Gum, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Panthenol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Gluconate, Enantia Chlorantha Bark Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Parfum, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Ceramide NP, 2,3-Butanediol, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide, Glyceryl Stearate, Oleanolic Acid, Cholesterol, Ceramide Ng, Ceramide As, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Limonene
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
Butylene 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 GlycolHouttuynia Cordata Extract is more commonly known as Heart Leaf, Fish Mint, or Chameleon plant.
The components found in Heart Leaf give it antioxidant, hydrating, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties.
Heart Leaf is rich in flavonoids such as quercetin, apigenin, and more. It also contains polysaccharides, the most common type of carbs in food.
Flavonoids have been shown to be effective antioxidants. They help neutralize free-radical molecules. Free-radical molecules are unstable molecules that may damage our skin cells and DNA. The flavonoids in Heart Leaf also help soothe the skin.
Polysaccharides are naturally found in our skin. They play a role in hydrating and repairing the top layer of skin. The polysaccharides in Heart Leaf help moisturize our skin.
Studies show decanoyl acetaldehyde, a component of Heart Leaf oil, is effective at killing bacteria.
The name 'Fish Mint' comes from the herb's natural fishy smell. Is is native to southeast Asia and used throughout the continent for traditional cooking and medicine.
Learn more about Houttuynia Cordata ExtractHydroxyacetophenone is a small phenolic molecule that earns its place in a formulas as an antioxidant and preservative booster.
As a phenol, it is able to neutralize free radicals to protect both the product and the skin from oxidative stress.
Though it can't kill microbes on its own, it works as a good supporting agent when combined with other preservatives like Phenoxyethanol or 1,2-Hexanediol.
This ingredient naturally occurs as piceol in Norwegian spruce needles (~0.4-1.1% dry weight and in cloudberries). Though the cosmetic-grade material is synthesized for purity and consistency.
You'll usually see it used at low levels and suppliers recommend up to 1% added to a water phase.
Safety testing was done at concentrations like 0.05% in SPF products and 0.5% in a Human Repeated Insult Patch Test. The safety evidence is assuring; this ingredient is safe for cosmetics in current use and also holds safety status as a food flavoring as well.
An honest caveat: the "soothing" and "anti-inflammatory" claims come mostly from supplier marketing rather than published clinical trials. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review's own literature search found no useful efficacy studies on this ingredient.
So the antioxidant and preservative-boosting roles are the well supported ones while the calming benefit is plausible but thinly evidenced.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated, low-irritation multitasker that quietly helps a formula stay fresh and stable.
Learn more about HydroxyacetophenonePentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
