What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Triisononanoin
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Isostearyl Isostearate
Emollient
C26-28 Alkyl Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Urea
Buffering
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Octyldodecyl PCA
EmollientSucrose Laurate
Emollient
Sucrose Stearate
EmollientLactic Acid
Buffering
Lanolin
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Silica
Abrasive
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Linolenic Acid
Cleansing
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil
Masking
Calendula Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Farnesol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
CI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantParaffinum Liquidum, Isopropyl Palmitate, Triisononanoin, Glycerin, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Isopropyl Myristate, Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Isostearyl Isostearate, C26-28 Alkyl Dimethicone, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Sodium Lactate, Urea, Gluconolactone, Sodium PCA, Sodium Hyaluronate, Octyldodecyl PCA, Sucrose Laurate, Sucrose Stearate, Lactic Acid, Lanolin, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Bisabolol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Silica, Glycine Soja Oil, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Niacinamide, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Tocopherol, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Calendula Officinalis Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Parfum, Farnesol, Limonene, Linalool, CI 17200
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Serine
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Alanine
Masking
Threonine
Arginine
Masking
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Lysine Hcl
Skin Conditioning
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
PCA
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Urea
Buffering
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCitric Acid
Buffering
Betaine
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Fructose
Humectant
Maltose
MaskingTrehalose
Humectant
Glucose
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Synthetic Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingDimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Serine, Glycine, Alanine, Threonine, Arginine, Proline, Lysine Hcl, Glutamic Acid, Sodium PCA, PCA, Sodium Lactate, Urea, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Betaine, Allantoin, Fructose, Maltose, Trehalose, Glucose, Pentylene Glycol, Synthetic Beeswax, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethiconol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide
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 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 Lactate is the sodium salt of lactic acid, an AHA. It is a humectant and sometimes used to adjust the pH of a product.
This ingredient is part of our skin's NMF, or natural moisturizing factor. Our NMF is essential for the hydration of our top skin layers and plasticity of skin. NMF also influences our skin's natural acid mantle and pH, which protects our skin from harmful bacteria.
High percentages of Sodium Lactate can have an exfoliating effect.
Fun fact: Sodium Lactate is produced from fermented sugar.
Learn more about Sodium LactateSodium PCA is the sodium salt of pyroglutamic acid. It is naturally occurring in our skin's natural moisturizing factors where it works to maintain hydration.
The PCA stands for pyrrolidone carboxylic acid, a natural amino acid derivative.
This ingredient has skin conditioning, anti-inflammatory, and humectant properties. Humectants help hydrate your skin by drawing moisture from the air. This helps keep your skin moisturized.
Learn more about Sodium PCAUrea is also called carbamide and is the diamide of carbonic acid. In cosmetics, urea is used to hydrate the skin. It also provides exfoliation in higher concentrations.
As a humectant, urea helps draw moisture from the air and from deep within the skin. This helps hydrate your skin. Studies show urea is an effective moisturizer for dry skin conditions. 40% urea is typical in medications for treating eczema and other skin conditions.
Urea has the strongest exfoliation effect in concentrations higher than 10%. It is a keratolytic agent, meaning it breaks down the keratin protein in the top layer of skin. This helps remove dead skin cells and flaking skin.
In medicine, urea has been shown to help increase the potency of other ingredients, such as fungal treatments.
Humans and animals use urea to metabolize nitrogen-containing compounds. Urea is highly soluble in water. Once dissolved, it is neither acidic nor alkaline.
Urea is actually one of the more well-studied and well-supported ingredients out there if you have eczema.
Clinical trials have shown that urea creams in the 5 - 10% range can:
Higher concentrations (20 -30%) can also help with thickened, scaly patches but is also more likely to sting on active flares.
Skip urea if you have rosacea. The AAD (American Academy of Dermatology) lists it alongside alcohol, menthol, and fragrance as a potential irritant for rosacea-prone skin. Urea's keratolytic and penetration-enhancing properties can trigger stinging, burning, and redness.
As always, your skin is unique, so definitely check in with your dermatologist.
Learn more about UreaWater. 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
