What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Ingredients Side-by-side
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningMethylpropanediol
SolventPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingZinc PCA
Humectant
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-11
Emulsion StabilisingPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Polyquaternium-51
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningDextrin
AbsorbentTheobroma Cacao Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Panthenol, Water, Methylpropanediol, Pentylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Betaine, Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Zinc PCA, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-11, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Tromethamine, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Allantoin, Polyquaternium-51, Sodium Hyaluronate, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Dextrin, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Alpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Glycereth-26
Humectant
Glyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Methyl Gluceth-20
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Oryza Sativa Bran Water
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
Buffering3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Sodium Phytate
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Alpha-Arbutin, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycereth-26, Glyceryl Glucoside, Methyl Gluceth-20, Pentylene Glycol, Oryza Sativa Bran Water, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Tromethamine, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Phytate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ceramide NP, Beta-Glucan, Tocopherol
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
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 GlycolCarbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.
Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.
It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.
Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.
A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.
Learn more about CarbomerEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinPentylene 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 GlycolSodium 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 HyaluronateTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolTromethamine (aka THAM) is a synthetic amino acid that shows up in skincare as a helper ingredient.
It functions as a pH adjuster to help neutralize acidic ingredients and set a formula's pH to the right spot.
This matters a lot because a lot of actives (like vitamin C) needs a specific pH to work well and feel comfortable on skin.
Concentration use ranges from 0.1-1.0% depending on the formula.
Learn more about TromethamineWater. 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
