What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventDimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingGlycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Lauroyl Lysine
Skin Conditioning
PEG-8
HumectantPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Squalane
Emollient
Glycine Soja Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Polyurethane Crosspolymer-1
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Olive Glycerides
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientPhenylpropanol
Masking
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract
Skin Conditioning
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Callus Culture Extract
Antioxidant
Water, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Glycine Soja Oil, Lauroyl Lysine, PEG-8, Phenoxyethanol, Squalane, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Polysorbate 60, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyurethane Crosspolymer-1, Chlorphenesin, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Lactic Acid, Retinol, Olive Glycerides, Sorbitan Isostearate, Ceramide NP, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phenethyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Phenylpropanol, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Callus Culture Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningPEG-35 Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Acetyl Octapeptide-3
Humectant
Pentapeptide-18
Skin Conditioning
Arginine Aspartate
Skin ConditioningCobalt Gluconate
Skin ConditioningCopper Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Pyridoxine Hcl
Skin ConditioningValine
MaskingZinc Chloride
AntimicrobialThiamine Hcl
MaskingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAvena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Water, PEG-35 Castor Oil, Ascorbic Acid, Glycerin, Retinyl Palmitate, Caprylyl Glycol, Tocopherol, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Acetyl Octapeptide-3, Pentapeptide-18, Arginine Aspartate, Cobalt Gluconate, Copper Gluconate, Pyridoxine Hcl, Valine, Zinc Chloride, Thiamine Hcl, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolGlycerin (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 HyaluronateWater. 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
