What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Hamamelis Virginiana Extract
Antiseborrhoeic
Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate
Cleansing
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Water
Skin ConditioningPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Seed Powder
Exfoliating
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Coconut Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Oryza Sativa Powder
Cellulose
Absorbent
Sodium Isethionate
CleansingHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Sodium Chloride
MaskingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Powder
Parfum
Masking
Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Oryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Vigna Radiata Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningFicus Carica Fruit Extract
Humectant
Saururus Chinensis Extract
Skin ConditioningNelumbo Nucifera Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantLupinus Albus Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Masking
Adansonia Digitata Fruit Extract
EmollientSalix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Origanum Vulgare Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningChamaecyparis Obtusa Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCaulerpa Lentillifera Extract
Rosa Canina Fruit Extract
Astringent
Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningCinnamomum Cassia Bark Extract
Masking
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Centella Asiatica Extract, Water, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Seed Powder, 1,2-Hexanediol, Coconut Acid, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Oryza Sativa Powder, Cellulose, Sodium Isethionate, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Glyceryl Stearate, Propanediol, Sodium Chloride, Xanthan Gum, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Powder, Parfum, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Butylene Glycol, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract, Oryza Sativa Extract, Vigna Radiata Seed Extract, Ficus Carica Fruit Extract, Saururus Chinensis Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Leaf Extract, Dipropylene Glycol, Lupinus Albus Seed Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Adansonia Digitata Fruit Extract, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Origanum Vulgare Leaf Extract, Chamaecyparis Obtusa Leaf Extract, Caulerpa Lentillifera Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Cinnamomum Cassia Bark Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract, Tocopherol, Hexyl Cinnamal
Houttuynia Cordata Flower/Leaf/Stem Water
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate
Cleansing
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Glutamate
SurfactantDisodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Hectorite
AbsorbentSodium Chloride
Masking1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Betaine Salicylate
Antimicrobial
Potassium Benzoate
Preservative
Houttuynia Cordata Powder
Skin ConditioningPolyquaternium-67
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningDextrin
AbsorbentDisodium EDTA
Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil
Perfuming
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Acetate
BufferingIsopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Pinus Palustris Leaf Extract
TonicUlmus Davidiana Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Oenothera Biennis Flower Extract
AstringentPueraria Lobata Root Extract
HumectantPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Potassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningHydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Quercetin
Antioxidant
Houttuynia Cordata Flower/Leaf/Stem Water, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Water, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Coco-Glucoside, Decyl Glucoside, Hectorite, Sodium Chloride, 1,2-Hexanediol, Betaine Salicylate, Potassium Benzoate, Houttuynia Cordata Powder, Polyquaternium-67, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Butylene Glycol, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Dextrin, Disodium EDTA, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Acetate, Isopropyl Alcohol, Pinus Palustris Leaf Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Oenothera Biennis Flower Extract, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Tocopherol, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Potassium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Quercetin
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 GlycolDisodium 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 EDTAEthylhexylglycerin 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 EthylhexylglycerinThis ingredient comes from the evergreen flowering plant, gardenia. It has skin conditioning properties.
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 GlycerinChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideSodium Cocoyl Glycinate is a cleansing agent. It can be naturally derived or synthetically-created.
As a surfactant, it helps clean your skin by gathering dirt, oil, and other pollutants to be rinsed away more easily.
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 HyaluronateTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
