What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantPolyglycerin-3
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantDipropylene Glycol
HumectantHoney Extract
HumectantMelia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningAureobasidium Pullulans Ferment
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCurcuma Longa Root Extract
MaskingOcimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningAlthaea Rosea Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningPropolis Extract
Skin ConditioningTheobroma Cacao Seed Extract
AntioxidantRoyal Jelly Extract
Skin ConditioningCorallina Officinalis Extract
Skin ConditioningPersea Gratissima Fruit Extract
EmollientLeucojum Aestivum Bulb Extract
Skin ProtectingBetaine
HumectantHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantCholeth-24
EmulsifyingAllantoin
Skin ConditioningTromethamine
BufferingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin ConditioningDextrin
AbsorbentMaltodextrin
AbsorbentCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCaffeine
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Parfum
MaskingBenzyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialWater, Glycerin, Polyglycerin-3, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Honey Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Aureobasidium Pullulans Ferment, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Althaea Rosea Flower Extract, Propolis Extract, Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract, Royal Jelly Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Persea Gratissima Fruit Extract, Leucojum Aestivum Bulb Extract, Betaine, Hydroxyacetophenone, Choleth-24, Allantoin, Tromethamine, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Panthenol, Dextrin, Maltodextrin, Carbomer, Caffeine, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Parfum, Benzyl Benzoate
Water
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantCentella Asiatica Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningGanoderma Lucidum Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningAlbatrellus Confluens Extract
HumectantCentella Asiatica Root Extract
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantBetaine
HumectantTrehalose
HumectantAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Panthenol
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin ConditioningAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingMethyl Diisopropyl Propionamide
MaskingTromethamine
BufferingGlyceryl Glucoside
HumectantDisodium EDTA
Allantoin
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantSaccharomyces Ferment Filtrate
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantSaccharomyces Ferment
Skin ConditioningAsiaticoside
AntioxidantMadecassoside
AntioxidantMadecassic Acid
Skin ConditioningAcetyl Hexapeptide-8
HumectantAspartic Acid
MaskingAsiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningWater, Centella Asiatica Extract, Glycerin, Centella Asiatica Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Ganoderma Lucidum Stem Extract, Albatrellus Confluens Extract, Centella Asiatica Root Extract, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Betaine, Trehalose, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Panthenol, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Methyl Diisopropyl Propionamide, Tromethamine, Glyceryl Glucoside, Disodium EDTA, Allantoin, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate, Butylene Glycol, Saccharomyces Ferment, Asiaticoside, Madecassoside, Madecassic Acid, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Aspartic Acid, Asiatic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Pentylene Glycol
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
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinBetaine is a humectant. Like hyaluronic acid, it helps attract and retain moisture in the skin. It’s 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 GlycolDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydroxyacetophenone 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 HydroxyacetophenonePanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolTromethamine (aka THAM) is a synthetic amino acid that shows up in skincare as a helper ingredient.
It functions as a pH adjuster to help neutralize acidic ingredients and set a formula's pH to the right spot.
This matters a lot because a lot of actives (like vitamin C) needs a specific pH to work well and feel comfortable on skin.
Concentration use ranges from 0.1-1.0% depending on the formula.
Learn more about TromethamineWater. 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