What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Niacinamide
SmoothingDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantDiglycerin
HumectantGlycosyl Trehalose
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Trimethylpyrazine
PerfumingPEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
EmulsifyingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingVp/Vinyl Alcohol Copolymer
HumectantTocopherol
AntioxidantPEG-5 Castor Oil
EmulsifyingPetrolatum
EmollientHydrogenated Sphingolipids
Skin ConditioningPhytosterols
Skin ConditioningPhytosteryl Hydroxystearate
Skin ConditioningN-Stearoyl-Dihydrosphingosine
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeGlycerin Methyl Ether
Barm Extract
Skin ConditioningDextrin
AbsorbentWater
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantSr-Jellyfish Polypeptide-1
Skin ProtectingTaurine
BufferingLidocaine Hcl
Serine
MaskingProline
Skin ConditioningGlutamic Acid
HumectantThreonine
Valine
MaskingLeucine
Skin ConditioningGlycine
BufferingAllantoin
Skin ConditioningIsoleucine
Skin ConditioningPhenylalanine
MaskingNiacinamide, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Diglycerin, Glycosyl Trehalose, Disodium EDTA, Trimethylpyrazine, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Xanthan Gum, Vp/Vinyl Alcohol Copolymer, Tocopherol, PEG-5 Castor Oil, Petrolatum, Hydrogenated Sphingolipids, Phytosterols, Phytosteryl Hydroxystearate, N-Stearoyl-Dihydrosphingosine, Ceramide EOP, Potassium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Glycerin Methyl Ether, Barm Extract, Dextrin, Water, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sr-Jellyfish Polypeptide-1, Taurine, Lidocaine Hcl, Serine, Proline, Glutamic Acid, Threonine, Valine, Leucine, Glycine, Allantoin, Isoleucine, Phenylalanine
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantPropanediol
SolventMethyl Gluceth-20
HumectantPEG-75
HumectantSerine
MaskingBetaine
HumectantSodium Citrate
BufferingDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
HumectantPEG-50 Hydrogenated Castor Oil Triisostearate
EmulsifyingPhytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeArginine
MaskingCitric Acid
BufferingPEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingTocopherol
AntioxidantSodium PCA
HumectantAlanine
MaskingLysine Hcl
Skin ConditioningPCA Ethyl Cocoyl Arginate
MoisturisingGlycine
BufferingCeteth-20
CleansingThreonine
Valine
MaskingHistidine
HumectantProline
Skin ConditioningLeucine
Skin ConditioningPentasodium Pentetate
Carnosine
Skin ConditioningPolyquaternium-61
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantWater, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Methyl Gluceth-20, PEG-75, Serine, Betaine, Sodium Citrate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, PEG-50 Hydrogenated Castor Oil Triisostearate, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Phenoxyethanol, Arginine, Citric Acid, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Tocopherol, Sodium PCA, Alanine, Lysine Hcl, PCA Ethyl Cocoyl Arginate, Glycine, Ceteth-20, Threonine, Valine, Histidine, Proline, Leucine, Pentasodium Pentetate, Carnosine, Polyquaternium-61, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycolDipotassium Glycyrrhizate comes from licorice root.
Extracts of licorice have demonstrated to have antibacterial, anti‐inflammatory, antiviral, antioxidant properties.
One component, glabridin, has extra potent antioxidant and soothing properties. It has also been found to block pigmentation from UVB rays in guinea pigs.
Licorice Root also contains a flavonoid. Flavonoids are a natural substance from in plants. Flavonoids also have antioxidant properties.
Another component, glycyrrhizin, has been found to have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial benefits. This may make licorice root extract effective at treating acne. However, more research is needed to support this.
Liquiritin is one of the flavone compounds found in licorice. It has been found to help lighten skin by preventing tyrosinase from reacting with tyrosine. When the two react, protein is converted to melanin. Melanin is the substance in your body that gives your features pigmentation.
Licorice root is native to Southern Europe and Asia. It has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to help with respiratory issues.
Learn more about Dipotassium GlycyrrhizateGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlycine is the smallest amino acid and a key building block of collagen. It's part if 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.
A study from 2022 found that an amino acid complex featuring taurine, arginine, and glycine significantly reduced skin irritation, improved redness, and accelerated the skin repair process.
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 AcidWe don't have a description for Leucine yet.
Phenoxyethanol 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.
Proline is a non-essential amino acid, meaning your body can make it on its own. In skincare, it is a skin conditioning ingredient that keeps skin soft and hydrated.
It makes up about 23% of the collagen molecule (collagen is the protein responsible for keeping your skin firm) and is involved in your skin's natural hyaluronic acid production. When applied topically, proline can penetrate the skin fairly well due to its small molecular size.
Reviews of this ingredient have found it to be neither a dermal irritant nor a sensitizer.
Fun fact: Proline can be found in protein-rich foods like meat, fish, eggs, and dairy.
Learn more about ProlineSerine 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 SerineThreonine is an amino-acid. It helps hydrate the skin and has antioxidant benefits.
Our skin uses threonine for creating collagen and elastin. Humans are not able to create threonine and must get it through eating foods such as fish, lentils, poultry, sesame seeds, and more.
Tocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
Learn more about TocopherolValine is an essential amino acid. It is used by our bodies for tissue repair and muscle growth.
An essential amino acid is one in which our bodies cannot naturally produce so we must get them through diet. Foods such as eggs, dairy, red meat, and fish contain valine.
This ingredient can either be derived from an animal product or be synthetically created.
Learn more about ValineWater. 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