What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Squalane
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Olivate
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Nicotinamide Mononucleotide
Antioxidant
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Linolenic Acid
Cleansing
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Arginine
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Alanine
Masking
Serine
Masking
Valine
MaskingIsoleucine
Skin ConditioningProline
Skin Conditioning
Threonine
Melatonin
Antioxidant
Histidine
Humectant
Phenylalanine
Masking
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
PCA
Humectant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Raspberry Ketone
Masking
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Citrus Paradisi Peel Extract
Perfuming
Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine
Emulsifying
Lecithin
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Water, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Squalane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Niacinamide, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Olivate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Sorbitan Olivate, Nicotinamide Mononucleotide, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Aspartic Acid, Arginine, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Isoleucine, Proline, Threonine, Melatonin, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Tocopherol, Sodium Hyaluronate, PCA, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Ceramide NP, Raspberry Ketone, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Citrus Paradisi Peel Extract, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, Lecithin, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hexylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid
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
Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid. This just means our bodies can product a bit on its own, but sometimes needs a little boost from food sources.
It is a part of your skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.
Here's an interesting thing about Arginine: your skin converts it into urea through the Krebs-Henseleit urea cycle. Urea is one of the most effective humectants your skin naturally produces.
A clinical study showed applying 2.5% arginine hydrochloride to atopic dermatitis skin showed significant urea levels in the stratum corneum and improved moisture in just four weeks.
Arginine is also a precursor to nitric oxide; nitric oxide improves microcirculation and supports wound healing and collagen synthesis.
One study found that an amino acid complex containing Arginine reduced skin irritation, improved hydration, and accelerated skin repair in clinical / in-vivo studies.
Arginine itself is an amino acid and not a fatty acid, oil, or ester. On its own, it's not a direct food source for Malassezia, or the yeast that causes fungal acne.
Learn more about ArginineEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinNicotinamide Mononucleotide, or NMN, is a nucleotide derived from niacin and a precursor to NAD+.
NAD+ is a coenzyme that is used for cellular energy production, DNA repair, and signaling protein activation. These all slow down as we age and as NAD+ levels decline.
In lab and animal studies, NMN has demonstrated:
This ingredient also breaks down into niacinamide even as it degrades.
There are two major caveats to this ingredient:
1) It is not stable and degrades quickly in water-based formulations.
2) Most of the skin data is still prelinical (cell and animal studies) and human clinical trials are still limited.
Sodium 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
