What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Oryza Sativa Bran Water
Masking
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
Methylpropanediol
SolventWater
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Methyl Gluceth-10
EmulsifyingNiacinamide
Smoothing
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Oryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPolyquaternium-51
Skin Conditioning
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Phytate
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Alpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Angelica Keiskei Extract
Antioxidant
Corchorus Olitorius Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningDioscorea Japonica Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hibiscus Esculentus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningNelumbo Nucifera Root Extract
Skin ConditioningBeta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Defatted Rice Bran Extract
Antioxidant
Arbutin
Antioxidant
Zinc Stearate
Cosmetic ColorantDefatted Rice Bran
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Bran
Abrasive
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Seed Protein
Antioxidant
Honey Extract
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Oryza Sativa Bran Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Methylpropanediol, Water, Butylene Glycol, Methyl Gluceth-10, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Panthenol, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Polyacrylate, Oryza Sativa Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Carbomer, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polyquaternium-51, Adenosine, Allantoin, Sodium Phytate, Xanthan Gum, Ceramide NP, Sodium Hyaluronate, Alpha-Arbutin, Angelica Keiskei Extract, Corchorus Olitorius Leaf Extract, Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract, Hibiscus Esculentus Fruit Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Root Extract, Beta-Glucan, Tocopherol, Defatted Rice Bran Extract, Arbutin, Zinc Stearate, Defatted Rice Bran, Oryza Sativa Bran, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Oryza Sativa Seed Protein, Honey Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Polyquaternium-7
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine
Emulsifying
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Water, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Propanediol, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Citric Acid, Polyquaternium-7, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, Pentylene Glycol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Squalane, Ceramide NP
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
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCeramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
Learn more about Ceramide NPEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinHyaluronic acid (HA) is a glycosaminoglycan (basically a long sugar chain) that your skin already makes on its own. In your skin, HA lives in the extracellular matrix and acts as the body's moisture reservoir.
Topically, HA is a humectant that binds water and helps skin look more plump, smooth, and hydrated.
The only catch is that HA isn't a single thing; it actually comes in a wide range of molecular weights (~50 - 2,000+ kDA) and size matters.
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
This is why the best HA serums blend the two sizes together so you get the best of both worlds.
The majority of cosmetic HA is produced by bacterial fermentation, typically using Streptococcus or Bacillus strains. Typical use levels in skincare sit around 0.1-2%.
A clinical study using a 0.2% low-molecular weight HA gel showed improvement in facial seborrheic dermatitis with excellent tolerance.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Learn more about Hyaluronic AcidHydrolyzed 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 AcidPentylene 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 Water
