What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantHydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans
HumectantSqualane
EmollientPolyglyceryl-6 Stearate
EmollientSerine
MaskingPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningJojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters
Skin ConditioningEctoin
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningMadecassoside
AntioxidantAsiaticoside
AntioxidantPhytosterols
Skin ConditioningPhytosteryl Macadamiate
Skin ConditioningBorago Officinalis Seed Oil
EmollientShea Butter Ethyl Esters
EmollientCentella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningArginine
MaskingTocopherol
AntioxidantSqualene
EmollientPolyglyceryl-6 Behenate
Emulsion StabilisingCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantWater, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Squalane, Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate, Serine, Pentylene Glycol, Jojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters, Ectoin, Ceramide AP, Ceramide NP, Madecassoside, Asiaticoside, Phytosterols, Phytosteryl Macadamiate, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Shea Butter Ethyl Esters, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Arginine, Tocopherol, Squalene, Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Xanthan Gum, Hydroxyacetophenone
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantSodium Cocoamphoacetate
CleansingSerine
MaskingPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin ConditioningEctoin
Skin ConditioningXylitylglucoside
HumectantAlpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
CleansingAsiaticoside
AntioxidantMadecassoside
AntioxidantBeta-Glucan
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin ConditioningGluconolactone
Skin ConditioningInulin
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningAnhydroxylitol
HumectantSodium Cocoyl Amino Acids
CleansingPersea Gratissima Oil
Skin ConditioningXylitol
HumectantFructose
HumectantCalcium Gluconate
HumectantGlucose
HumectantLactic Acid
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingCellulose
AbsorbentHydrolyzed Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum
AbsorbentCaesalpinia Spinosa Gum
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantSodium Benzoate
MaskingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeWater, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Serine, Pentylene Glycol, Panthenol, Ectoin, Xylitylglucoside, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Asiaticoside, Madecassoside, Beta-Glucan, Allantoin, Gluconolactone, Inulin, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Anhydroxylitol, Sodium Cocoyl Amino Acids, Persea Gratissima Oil, Xylitol, Fructose, Calcium Gluconate, Glucose, Lactic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Cellulose Gum, Cellulose, Hydrolyzed Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Asiaticoside comes from the super popular skin-soothing ingredient, Centella asiatica. It's the reason centella-based products have a strong reputation for repairing and calming skin, along with its sibling compound Madecassoside.
Research from 2016-2025 supports its role in:
You'll usually find this in concentrations between 0.2-5%.
Learn more about AsiaticosideCentella Asiatica Leaf Extract comes from the leaves of an herb plant native to Southeast Asia. Centella Asiatica is rich in antioxidants and amino acids. It can help reduce irritation and soothe the skin.
Many active components found in centella asiatica, such as Madecassic Acid and Asiaticoside, encourage the skin to naturally produce hyaluronic acid. This helps keep our skin hydrated. Many of these components also show antioxidant activity and may help reduce the signs of aging.
Research shows centella asiatica can help increase Type I collagen production by increasing fibroblast production. Fibroblast helps form connective tissue.
The combination of all these properties makes centella asiatica leaf extract effective at soothing the skin.
Other components of centella asiatica leaf extract include Vitamin A, vitamin C, several B vitamins, and Asiatic Acid.
Recent studies found madecassoside may help prevent damage from UV rays by preventing UV-induced inflammation. Further research is needed.
This plant has been used as a medicine and in food for many centuries. As a medicine, it is used to treat burns, scratches, and wounds.
Learn more about Centella Asiatica Leaf ExtractEctoin is a compound found naturally in some species of bacteria. It can be synthetically created for skincare use.
This ingredient is an osmolyte; Osmolytes help organisms survive osmotic shock (it protects them from extreme conditions). It does this by influencing the properties of biological fluids within cells.
When applied to the skin, ectoin helps bind water molecules to protect our skin. The water forms a sort of armor for the parts of our skin cells, enzymes, proteins, and more.
Besides this, ectoin has many uses in skincare:
A study from 2004 found ectoin to counteract the damage from UV-A exposure at different cell levels. It has also been shown to protect skin against both UV-A, UV-B rays, infrared light, and visible light.
Studies show ectoin to have dual-action pollution protection: first, it protects our skin from further pollution damage. Second, it helps repair damage from pollution.
In fact, ectoin has been shown to help with:
Fun fact: In the EU, ectoin is used in inhalation medication as an anti-pollution ingredient.
Ectoin is a highly stable ingredient. It has a wide pH range of 1-9. Light, oxygen, and temperature do not affect this ingredient.
The chemical name for this ingredient is Tetrahydromethylpyrimidine Carboxylic Acid.
Learn more about EctoinGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydroxyacetophenone is a small phenolic molecule that earns its place in a formulas as an antioxidant and preservative booster.
As a phenol, it is able to neutralize free radicals to protect both the product and the skin from oxidative stress.
Though it can't kill microbes on its own, it works as a good supporting agent when combined with other preservatives like Phenoxyethanol or 1,2-Hexanediol.
This ingredient naturally occurs as piceol in Norwegian spruce needles (~0.4-1.1% dry weight and in cloudberries). Though the cosmetic-grade material is synthesized for purity and consistency.
You'll usually see it used at low levels and suppliers recommend up to 1% added to a water phase.
Safety testing was done at concentrations like 0.05% in SPF products and 0.5% in a Human Repeated Insult Patch Test. The safety evidence is assuring; this ingredient is safe for cosmetics in current use and also holds safety status as a food flavoring as well.
An honest caveat: the "soothing" and "anti-inflammatory" claims come mostly from supplier marketing rather than published clinical trials. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review's own literature search found no useful efficacy studies on this ingredient.
So the antioxidant and preservative-boosting roles are the well supported ones while the calming benefit is plausible but thinly evidenced.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated, low-irritation multitasker that quietly helps a formula stay fresh and stable.
Learn more about HydroxyacetophenoneMadecassoside is one of four active compounds found in Centella asiatica and is one of the main reasons Centella is so effective at calming irritated skin and supporting the moisture barrier.
There's a solid body of peer-reviewed research backing Madecassoside for several skin benefits. Studies have found:
Madecassoside pairs well with other hydrating or antioxidant ingredients like Ascorbic Acid or Hyaluronic Acid.
Learn more about MadecassosidePentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolSerine is a non-essential amino acid (your body makes it on its own!). It is a major player in 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.
Serine is one of your NMF's most abundant components that works as a skin-identical humectant. Its hydroxyl group grabs onto water molecules to boost hydration without any heaviness or occlusion.
Research on a hydrogel with serine confirmed this serine got delivered to your stratum corneum and demonstrated enhanced skin moisturization.
Interestingly serine also helps your skin produce filaggrin, a protein that keeps your skin barrier strong and used to create collagen.
Learn more about SerineWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum