What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
PEG-8
HumectantGlycol Distearate
Emollient
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoyl Alaninate
Acrylates Copolymer
Cocamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate
Polyquaternium-7
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice
Skin ConditioningAspergillus Ferment
Skin ConditioningMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Lactobacillus
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Myristic Acid, Lauric Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PEG-8, Glycol Distearate, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Cocoyl Alaninate, Acrylates Copolymer, Cocamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Polyquaternium-7, Butylene Glycol, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice, Aspergillus Ferment, Maltodextrin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lactobacillus, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
Propanediol
Solvent
Betaine
Humectant
Isodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSclareolide
Masking
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice
Skin ConditioningAspergillus Ferment
Skin ConditioningMaltodextrin
Absorbent
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingLactobacillus
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Glucose
Humectant
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Potassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Water, Niacinamide, Propanediol, Betaine, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Glycerin, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sclareolide, Aminomethyl Propanol, Sclerotium Gum, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hyaluronate, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Butylene Glycol, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice, Aspergillus Ferment, Maltodextrin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ceramide NP, Xanthan Gum, Lactobacillus, Caprylyl Glycol, Glucose, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Potassium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Metabisulfite
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide is a prebiotic. It prevents harmful bacteria from growing on skin by keeping the skin's microbiome in balance.
Another benefit of this ingredient is its antioxidant properties. Antioxidants protect our skin from oxidative damage.
Aspergillus Ferment is created when Aspergillus fungi is fermented under controlled conditions. This is the same fungi used to make sake, miso, and soy sauce.
The fungi breaks down to produce a mix of enzymes, amino acids, vitamins, and bioactive compounds during fermentation.
One such compound is kojic acid; kojic acid is widely considered a gentler alternative to hydroquinone. You should know: the amount of kojic acid in Aspergillus Ferment will vary depending on species used and how the fermentation was done.
There's an in-vitro study from 2019 found that ceramide-like compounds from Aspergillus luchuensis helped skin cells turn on the genes related to barrier repair and moisture retention. Just keep in mind this was tested on cells in a lab and not on actual people's faces.
If you're someone who deals with fungal acne (malassezia folliculitis), you might want to instinctively want to skip this ingredient.
That's understandable since it is derived from a fungus. It's worth knowing that Aspergillus and Malassezia are completely different organisms and there's no research suggesting that Aspergillus Ferment feeds or worsens malassezia overgrowth on the skin.
However, if you're actively managing fungal acne, being cautious with any new ingredient is reasonable.
Learn more about Aspergillus FermentButylene 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 GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinLactobacillus is a type of bacteria with skin conditioning properties. This ingredient has antibacterial and antifungal properties (that's why we can eat fermented foods).
Learn more about the benefits of lactobacillus ferment here.
Fun Fact: Lactobacillus is used to create wine, yogurt, cheese, sauerkraut, pickles, beer, cider, kimchi, cocoa, kefir.
Learn more about LactobacillusMaltodextrin is a polysaccharide. It is derived from starch such as rice, corn, wheat, or potato starch.
In food, Maltodextrin is used to improve the texture and thicken a product. Due to its structure, it can help create a gel texture. As an emulsion stabilizer, it helps keep the ingredients in a product together.
As a polysaccharide, Maltodextrin has moisturizing properties. Polysaccharides are a type of carbohydrate. The top layer of skin uses polysaccharides to retain water, keeping the skin hydrated.
Maltodextrin is water soluble and has a sweet taste.
Learn more about MaltodextrinPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice comes from the roots of the Yacon plant native to South America. It is a skin conditioning ingredient that helps keep skin feeling soft and hydrated.
Yacon roots are naturally loaded with fructooligosaccharides (FOS), a type of prebiotic sugar. Prebiotics like FOS help feed the "good" bacteria on your skin to support a healthy and balanced environment.
This root juice also contains antioxidant compounds (like chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid).
Just so you know, Yacon belongs to the daisy family so be sure to patch test if you have a known allergy to plants in that family.
Learn more about Polymnia Sonchifolia Root JuiceSodium 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 Water
