What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGalactomyces Ferment Filtrate
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Glycerin
Humectant
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Gossypium Herbaceum Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Yeast Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Allium Sativum Bulb Extract
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Water, Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate, Butylene Glycol, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Centella Asiatica Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Gossypium Herbaceum Seed Extract, Allantoin, Yeast Ferment Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Allium Sativum Bulb Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol
Water
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
Methyl Gluceth-20
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Glycereth-26
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Leontopodium Alpinum Extract
Skin ConditioningActinidia Polygama Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningHydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Alpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Niacinamide, Methyl Gluceth-20, Propanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Allantoin, Disodium EDTA, Chlorphenesin, Glycereth-26, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Metabisulfite, Leontopodium Alpinum Extract, Actinidia Polygama Fruit Extract, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Adenosine, Alpha-Arbutin, Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinButylene 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 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 GlycerinNiacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.
And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.
You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.
In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.
If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.
When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.
In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).
Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.
Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.
The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.
Learn more about NiacinamidePhenoxyethanol 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.
Water. 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
