What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialStearic Acid
Cleansing
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Dimethicone
Emollient
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Resveratrol
Antioxidant
Epigallocatechin Gallate
Antioxidant
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Cholesterol
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Disodium EDTA
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Stearic Acid, Niacinamide, Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Cetearyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Resveratrol, Epigallocatechin Gallate, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caffeine, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Phytosphingosine, Ceramide AP, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cholesterol, Caprylyl Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Hydroxide, Ceramide NP, Ceramide EOP, Cetearyl Glucoside, Disodium EDTA, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Cetyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Hexylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientIsodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate
Emulsifying
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-2 Isostearate
Emulsifying
Isosorbide Dicaprylate
Skin ConditioningDisteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingPhytosteryl Canola Glycerides
Skin Conditioning
Glycosphingolipids
EmollientGlycolipids
Skin ConditioningLinoleic Acid
Cleansing
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Arginine
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Alanine
Masking
Serine
Masking
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Threonine
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Lysine Hcl
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Glucose
Humectant
Maltose
MaskingFructose
Humectant
Trehalose
Humectant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
PCA
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Urea
Buffering
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Lecithin
Emollient
Triolein
Skin Conditioning
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Magnesium Sulfate
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Glycerin, Propanediol, Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Polyglyceryl-2 Isostearate, Isosorbide Dicaprylate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Phytosteryl Canola Glycerides, Glycosphingolipids, Glycolipids, Linoleic Acid, Oleic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Arginine, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Proline, Threonine, Glutamic Acid, Lysine Hcl, Betaine, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Glucose, Maltose, Fructose, Trehalose, Sodium PCA, PCA, Sodium Lactate, Urea, Allantoin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lecithin, Triolein, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Pentylene Glycol, Tocopherol, Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone, Citric Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Magnesium Sulfate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
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 HyaluronateSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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
