What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantDipropylene Glycol
HumectantPropanediol
SolventGlycerin
HumectantBetaine
HumectantDiglycerin
HumectantMethylpropanediol
SolventHydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantGlycereth-25 PCA Isostearate
EmulsifyingPanthenol
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin ConditioningSodium Polyacrylate
AbsorbentGlyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantPvm/Ma Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTheobroma Cacao Seed Extract
AntioxidantDextrin
AbsorbentHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantHyaluronic Acid
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantAzelaic Acid
BufferingBisabolol
AntioxidantDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
HumectantZea Mays Kernel Extract
Centella Asiatica Extract
CleansingCentella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Root Extract
Skin ConditioningAsiatic Acid
Skin ConditioningAsiaticoside
AntioxidantMadecassic Acid
Skin ConditioningMadecassoside
AntioxidantCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningChlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Water
AntimicrobialSqualane
EmollientDimethylsilanol Hyaluronate
HumectantHydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningFructan
Skin ConditioningPinus Pinaster Bark Extract
AntioxidantPotassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningHydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
HumectantGlucose
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate Dimethylsilanol
HumectantSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
HumectantWater, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Propanediol, Glycerin, Betaine, Diglycerin, Methylpropanediol, Hydroxyethyl Urea, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Glycereth-25 PCA Isostearate, Panthenol, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Allantoin, Sodium Polyacrylate, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Pvm/Ma Copolymer, Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract, Dextrin, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Azelaic Acid, Bisabolol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Zea Mays Kernel Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Root Extract, Asiatic Acid, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, Madecassoside, Ceramide NP, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Water, Squalane, Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Fructan, Pinus Pinaster Bark Extract, Potassium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Glucose, Sodium Hyaluronate Dimethylsilanol, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Collagen Water
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantPropanediol
SolventTripropylene Glycol
Antioxidant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
SmoothingGlycereth-26
HumectantWater
Skin ConditioningSodium Chloride
MaskingHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantGellan Gum
Calcium Lactate
AstringentAdenosine
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate
HumectantCyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningGardenia Florida Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Sclerotium Gum
HumectantCarrageenan
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCeratonia Siliqua Gum
EmollientDextrin
AbsorbentSucrose
HumectantAcetyl Hexapeptide-8
HumectantCollagen Extract
Skin ConditioningCopper Tripeptide-1
Skin ConditioningTripeptide-1
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin ConditioningHexapeptide-9
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin ConditioningOligopeptide-1
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tripeptide-38
Skin ConditioningPentapeptide-4
Skin ConditioningHexapeptide-12
Skin ConditioningCollagen Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, Tripropylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Glycereth-26, Water, Sodium Chloride, Hydroxyacetophenone, Gellan Gum, Calcium Lactate, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA, Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate, Cyanocobalamin, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Hydrolyzed Sclerotium Gum, Carrageenan, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Ceratonia Siliqua Gum, Dextrin, Sucrose, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Collagen Extract, Copper Tripeptide-1, Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Hexapeptide-9, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Oligopeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Pentapeptide-4, Hexapeptide-12
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 GlycolDextrin is a starch-derived polysaccharide. It's made by partially breaking down corn, potato, or other plant starches.
Think of it as "half-processed" starch; it's less complex than the original but not fully broken down into sugar like maltodextrin.
In cosmetics, it mainly functions as a bulking agent, viscosity controller, binder, and absorbent. It helps thicken products, stabilize powders, and get certain textures a less "wet" feel.
This ingredient has a pretty solid safety profile; it's recognized as a safe food additive and its large molecular size means it doesn't meaningfully penetrate skin.
Human repeat insult patch tests using a rinse-off facial product containing 42.69% dextrin found no skin irritation or sensitization in 54 subjects.
Typical real-world usage is much lower: usually under 1% as a texture modifier and up to 40% in masks (rinse off products use less).
Learn more about DextrinDisodium 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 GlycerinHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid (HA) that is broken down into lower molecular weight fragments.
It's a humectant that pulls and holds water in the skin to help with hydration, plumpness, and reduce transepidermal water loss.
Because hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid is smaller in size, it can slip past your outermost layer of skin more easily than full-sized HA.
Most formulations will combine all sizes to get the best of both worlds.
Typical usage levels range from 0.01-1%. Any percentage higher than 2% might become goopy and tacky.
Learn more about Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic AcidHydroxyacetophenone 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 HydroxyacetophenonePropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolWater. 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