What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycolic Acid 14%
Buffering
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin Conditioning
Methyl Gluceth-20
Humectant
Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ferulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Ammonium Glycyrrhizate
MaskingHibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate 1%
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Codonopsis Lanceolata Extract
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycolic Acid 14%, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Dimethicone, Potassium Hydroxide, Cetyl Alcohol, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Methyl Gluceth-20, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Phenoxyethanol, Ferulic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Ammonium Glycyrrhizate, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate 1%, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ubiquinone, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Codonopsis Lanceolata Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Water
Skin ConditioningCodium Fragile Extract
Skin ConditioningBetaine
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract
Antioxidant
Bacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningLonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract
Perfuming
Copper Chlorophyll
Cosmetic ColorantIngredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycerinSodium 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
