This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Saccharide Isomerate and Beta-Glucan to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
This calming moisturizer is formulated around Panthenol and Beta-Glucan to calm redness and hydrate skin.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantC13-15 Alkane
SolventC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialEthylhexyl Isononanoate
EmollientPropanediol
SolventDimethicone
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningSodium PCA
HumectantSaccharide Isomerate
HumectantArachidyl Alcohol
EmollientCoco-Glucoside
CleansingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCoconut Alcohol
EmollientBehenyl Alcohol
EmollientTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantArachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Phytate
Chelating1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningBeta-Glucan
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientSodium Benzoate
MaskingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeSodium Citrate
BufferingCitric Acid
BufferingWater, Glycerin, C13-15 Alkane, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Ethylhexyl Isononanoate, Propanediol, Dimethicone, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium PCA, Saccharide Isomerate, Arachidyl Alcohol, Coco-Glucoside, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Coconut Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Arachidyl Glucoside, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Phytate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Beta-Glucan, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningMethylpropanediol
SolventButylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantMethyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin ConditioningBeta-Glucan
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingArginine
MaskingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantCopper PCA
HumectantAllantoin
Skin ConditioningZinc PCA
HumectantSodium PCA
HumectantHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingT-Butyl Alcohol
PerfumingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
ChelatingPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingDimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin ConditioningGuaiazulene
AntimicrobialWater, Methylpropanediol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Methyl Trimethicone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Panthenol, Beta-Glucan, Centella Asiatica Extract, Arginine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Copper PCA, Allantoin, Zinc PCA, Sodium PCA, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sclerotium Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, T-Butyl Alcohol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Guaiazulene
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
Beta-Glucan is a soluble polysaccharide (a chain of glucose sugars) sourced from the cells walls of oats, baker's yeast, mushrooms, and seaweed.
It's a rare ingredient that pulls double-duty as a heavy-duty hydrator and skin-soothing repair agent.
On the surface, it acts as a humectant that holds water in place and reduces moisture loss for a plumper, smoother feel, while its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties make it a great pick for calming redness or sensitive skin
The more interesting story is underneath:
Despite its large molecular size, oat beta-glucan has been shown to penetrate the epidermis and reach the dermis by slipping between skin cells. Here, it interacts with fibroblasts and macrophages to nudge collagen synthesis and support wound repair.
A small 2005 split-face clinical study of 27 subjects found topical beta-glucan produced measurable reductions in wrinkle depth, height, and roughness after 8 weeks of use.
It is worth noting the trial was small and the penetration testing used frozen, irradiated skin so the anti-aging data is encouraging rather than definitive.
This ingredient gets along with pretty much everything and is typically used around 0.1-1%.
Fungal acne: This ingredient is not a food source for the Malassezia yeast because it is a glucose polysaccharide with no fatty acid or ester component.
Learn more about Beta-GlucanGlycerin (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 GlycerinSodium PCA (the salt of PCA) is one of the most well-established humectants in skincare.
Why is it so special? Your skin already makes it naturally; it's a natural component of your skin's Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF), or the mix of water-binding compounds inside your skin cells that keeps things soft and hydrated.
As a cosmetic ingredient, it grabs water and holds it in the upper layers of skin to smooth roughness and ease dehydration.
There's some clinical support for the NMF approach with a study showing that a cream built to mimic the skin's NMF significantly boosted hydration.
Safety-wise, this ingredient non-irritating, non-comedogenic, and non-phototoxic in testing, with minimal skin absorption.
It also works really well with other hydrators like glycerin or hyaluronic acid, and typical usage is somewhere between 0.2-4%.
Learn more about Sodium PCAWater. 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