What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantPropanediol
SolventPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingMyristic Acid
CleansingCocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingCI 77163
Cosmetic ColorantCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
CleansingEthylhexyl Hydroxystearate
EmollientSucrose
HumectantSilver
Cosmetic ColorantPunica Granatum Sterols
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Oil
MaskingLinoleic Acid
CleansingSqualane
EmollientCaffeine
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Fruit Juice
EmollientCocos Nucifera Water
MaskingAmaranthus Caudatus Seed Oil
EmollientHordeum Vulgare Extract
EmollientTriticum Vulgare Germ Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantMica
Cosmetic ColorantCoconut Alkanes
EmollientCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
EmollientSodium Chloride
MaskingDicaprylyl Ether
EmollientCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCalcium Aluminum Borosilicate
Polyquaternium-39
Lecithin
EmollientSodium Benzoate
MaskingTin Oxide
AbrasiveCI 77510
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Propanediol, Potassium Hydroxide, Myristic Acid, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, CI 77163, Carbomer, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Ethylhexyl Hydroxystearate, Sucrose, Silver, Punica Granatum Sterols, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Linoleic Acid, Squalane, Caffeine, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Juice, Cocos Nucifera Water, Amaranthus Caudatus Seed Oil, Hordeum Vulgare Extract, Triticum Vulgare Germ Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Mica, Coconut Alkanes, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Sodium Chloride, Dicaprylyl Ether, CI 77891, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Polyquaternium-39, Lecithin, Sodium Benzoate, Tin Oxide, CI 77510
Water
Skin ConditioningCoco-Betaine
CleansingSodium Cocoyl Alaninate
SurfactantPotassium Cocoyl Glycinate
SurfactantAcrylates Copolymer
Glycerin
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventPolyglyceryl-4 Caprate
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantTromethamine
BufferingGlyceryl Glucoside
HumectantDisodium EDTA
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantSqualane
EmollientEctoin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
BufferingHydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Skin ConditioningMaltodextrin
AbsorbentHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantHyaluronic Acid
HumectantHydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantPotassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningHydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
HumectantSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
HumectantWater, Coco-Betaine, Sodium Cocoyl Alaninate, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Acrylates Copolymer, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Propanediol, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Tromethamine, Glyceryl Glucoside, Disodium EDTA, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Squalane, Ectoin, Citric Acid, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Maltodextrin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ceramide NP, Butylene Glycol, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Potassium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolSodium 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 HyaluronateSqualane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).
It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.
This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.
Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.
Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.
No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).
Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.
This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.
Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.
Read more about squalene with an "e".
Though squalane is often called an oil, it’s technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.
The term “oil-free” isn’t regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.
Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.
A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.
The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.
Learn more about SqualaneWater. 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