What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Ingredients Side-by-side
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Water
Antimicrobial
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Althaea Rosea Root Extract
HumectantAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Polyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Aspalathus Linearis Extract
Skin ConditioningPortulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Psidium Guajava Fruit Extract
AstringentSchisandra Chinensis Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Perilla Ocymoides Leaf Extract
TonicAcorus Calamus Root Extract
Perfuming
Citrus Paradisi Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Water, Water, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Althaea Rosea Root Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Beta-Glucan, Polyglutamic Acid, Aspalathus Linearis Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Psidium Guajava Fruit Extract, Schisandra Chinensis Fruit Extract, Perilla Ocymoides Leaf Extract, Acorus Calamus Root Extract, Citrus Paradisi Fruit Extract, Caprylyl Glycol
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Trehalose
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Betula Alba Juice
AstringentPortulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Althaea Officinalis Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Water, Propanediol, Pentylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Trehalose, Caprylyl Glycol, Panthenol, Sodium PCA, Butylene Glycol, Betula Alba Juice, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Glycerin, Hyaluronic Acid, Althaea Officinalis Root Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Beta-Glucan, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
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
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract is a botanical extract pulled from the leaves of aloe vera and one of the most studied plant ingredients in cosmetics.
The inner leaf gel it comes from is mostly water (~99-99.5%) and the remaining fraction is made up of pretty good stuff: polysaccharides, vitamins, phenolics, and enzymes.
Its headline job is hydration.
The star polysaccharide in aloe, acemannan, is a humectant that retains moisture and helps reduce trans-epidermal water loss.
Aloe also has real soothing credentials; it contains anti-inflammatory compounds like bradykinase and C-glucosyl chromone that help calm irritation and redness.
On the repair side, lab work shows that acemannan wakes up your skin's repair cells (fibroblasts), prompting them to multiply and speed up healing.
There's some human data for cosmetic benefit too: a cream containing 10% Aloe Barbadensis leaf extract improved skin hydration and elasticity in a real-use study.
Safety-wise, this ingredient is well-regarded with just one rare downside; there have been some case reports of acute eczema, contact urticaria, and dermatitis in people who applied aloe-derived ingredients topically. Those with a known aloe or Liliaceae sensitivity should patch test.
Typical use levels range widely, from under 1% up to 90%+ depending on the format and the effect you are after.
Learn more about Aloe Barbadensis Leaf ExtractBeta-Glucan is a soluble polysaccharide (a chain of glucose sugars) sourced from the cells walls of oats, baker's yeast, mushrooms, and seaweed.
It's a rare ingredient that pulls double-duty as a heavy-duty hydrator and skin-soothing repair agent.
On the surface, it acts as a humectant that holds water in place and reduces moisture loss for a plumper, smoother feel, while its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties make it a great pick for calming redness or sensitive skin
The more interesting story is underneath:
Despite its large molecular size, oat beta-glucan has been shown to penetrate the epidermis and reach the dermis by slipping between skin cells. Here, it interacts with fibroblasts and macrophages to nudge collagen synthesis and support wound repair.
A small 2005 split-face clinical study of 27 subjects found topical beta-glucan produced measurable reductions in wrinkle depth, height, and roughness after 8 weeks of use.
It is worth noting the trial was small and the penetration testing used frozen, irradiated skin so the anti-aging data is encouraging rather than definitive.
This ingredient gets along with pretty much everything and is typically used around 0.1-1%.
Fungal acne: This ingredient is not a food source for the Malassezia yeast because it is a glucose polysaccharide with no fatty acid or ester component.
Learn more about Beta-GlucanButylene 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 GlycolCaprylyl 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, 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 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 GlycolThis extract comes from Purslane, a succulent. It has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and hydrating properties.
Purslane is very nutritious. It contains omega-3 fatty acids, NMFs, many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. The vitamins found in purslane include: Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and Vitamin E.
Fun fact: Purslane is a succulent with an extensive habitat. It is used in traditional Korean medicine to treat irritated skin.
Nowadays, purslane is becoming a superfood due to its highly nutritious content.
Learn more about Portulaca Oleracea ExtractSodium 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
