What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Illicium Verum Fruit Extract
Perfuming
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans
HumectantHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Tamarindus Indica Seed Polysaccharide
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingInulin
Skin Conditioning
Cellulose
Absorbent
Glucose
Humectant
Fructose
Humectant
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caprylyl Glycol, Illicium Verum Fruit Extract, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Panthenol, Propanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Madecassoside, Tamarindus Indica Seed Polysaccharide, Ceramide NP, Cellulose Gum, Xanthan Gum, Inulin, Cellulose, Glucose, Fructose
Betula Platyphylla Japonica Juice 70%
Skin Conditioning
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Methylpropanediol
SolventBetaine
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Gluconic Acid
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans
HumectantButylene Glycol
Humectant
Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningIsopentyldiol
Humectant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Propanediol
Solvent
Benzyl Glycol
SolventEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningRaspberry Ketone
Masking
Betula Platyphylla Japonica Juice 70%, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Methylpropanediol, Betaine, Allantoin, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Gluconic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Butylene Glycol, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Isopentyldiol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Citric Acid, Propanediol, Benzyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Raspberry Ketone
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.Â
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 preservativesÂ
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 GlycolGlycerin (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 AcidWe don't have a description for Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans yet.
Hydrolyzed 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 AcidPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.Â
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 PropanediolSodium 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 HyaluronateSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer is a crosslinked version of sodium hyaluronate. This just means it's linked into a 3D mesh network that lets it be more stable and sit on skin as a cohesive, gel-like film rather than sinking into skin.
A 2016 human skin study found crosslinked HA increased epidermal water content by 7.6% over the control group and reduced transepidermal water loss by 27.8%.
A follow-up clinical trial found that a topical crosslinked HA serum applied after fillers, microneedling, or chemical peels was well-tolerated and enhanced skin quality at 14 / 28 days.
More recent research suggests that concentrations as low as 0.03% can act as a penetration enhancer for other skincare actives.
Learn more about Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
