What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningMethylpropanediol
SolventDimethylsilanol Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Xylitol
Humectant
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sorbitan Laurate
Emulsifying
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester
Skin Conditioning
Alteromonas Ferment Extract
Skin Conditioning
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingHyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Silanetriol
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Glucose
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingChondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Water, Methylpropanediol, Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Xylitol, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Seed Extract, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sorbitan Laurate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Xanthan Gum, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Alteromonas Ferment Extract, Phenethyl Alcohol, Hyaluronic Acid, Silanetriol, Citric Acid, Sorbic Acid, Glucose, Sodium Hydroxide, Chondrus Crispus Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus/Arundinaria Gigantea Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningSpirulina Platensis Extract
Skin ProtectingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientSodium PCA
Humectant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Phytate
Citric Acid
Buffering
Malachite Extract
Antioxidant
Erythritol
Humectant
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Carrageenan
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Tris(Tetramethylhydroxypiperidinol)Citrate
StabilisingBenzoic Acid
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSorbic Acid
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Paeonia Albiflora Flower Extract
TonicWater, Glycerin, Propanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Lactobacillus/Arundinaria Gigantea Ferment Filtrate, Spirulina Platensis Extract, Xanthan Gum, Butylene Glycol, Panthenol, Maltodextrin, Glyceryl Caprylate, Sodium PCA, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Phytate, Citric Acid, Malachite Extract, Erythritol, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Carrageenan, Alcohol, Tris(Tetramethylhydroxypiperidinol)Citrate, Benzoic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Sorbic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Paeonia Albiflora Flower Extract
Reviews
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 GlycolCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 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 HydroxideSorbic Acid is a preservative that stops your product from spoiling by stopping microbes from growing.
As a preservative, it's kind of a specialist: it has a broad spectrum of activity against yeast and molds but is weaker against bacteria. That's why it's often paired with another preservative to cover that gap.
This ingredient is also pretty picky about pH; it performs best at pH 6.5 or below.
At the right pH level, sorbic acid is "active" and can slip through the outer wall of a microbe. Once inside, it turns the cell's interior more acidic to shut down the microbe from the inside.
The EU caps this ingredient at 0.6% while the CIR has concluded it's safe at concentrations up to 1%. It's most often used around 0.05-0.2% in cosmetics.
Though this ingredient is considered low-sensitizing and well-tolerated, a very small number of people may have a contact allergy to it. Be sure to patch test if you have a history of allergies towards preservatives.
Learn more about Sorbic 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 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
