What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Betaine
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Methylparaben
Preservative
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Betaine, Dimethicone, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Methylparaben, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Trehalose
Humectant
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium PCA
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Carnosine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
PCA
Humectant
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Serine
Masking
Alanine
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Lysine Hcl
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingThreonine
Arginine
Masking
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Pentylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Betaine, Trehalose, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium PCA, Allantoin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Carnosine, Sodium Lactate, PCA, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Sodium Hyaluronate, Disodium EDTA, Serine, Alanine, Glycine, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Glutamic Acid, Lysine Hcl, Carbomer, Threonine, Arginine, Polysorbate 20, Proline, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Betaine is a humectant. Like hyaluronic acid, it helps attract and retain moisture in the skin. Itβs known for being gentle and for helping the skin maintain balanced hydration.
Betaine is mainly used to improve hydration and support calmer skin. It helps skin cells regulate water balance because it functions as an osmolyte.
Some studies suggest betaine may support making skin tone more even.
Fun fact: Betaine naturally exists in the skin and the body. In cosmetic products, it can be either plant-derived (most commonly from sugar beets) or synthetically produced for consistency and stability.
Betaine is also known as trimethylglycine.
Learn more about BetaineButylene 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 GlycerinPentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolSodium 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 Hyaluronate Crosspolymer is a crosslinked version of sodium hyaluronate. This just means it's linked into a 3D mesh network that lets it be more stable and sit on skin as a cohesive, gel-like film rather than sinking into skin.
A 2016 human skin study found crosslinked HA increased epidermal water content by 7.6% over the control group and reduced transepidermal water loss by 27.8%.
A follow-up clinical trial found that a topical crosslinked HA serum applied after fillers, microneedling, or chemical peels was well-tolerated and enhanced skin quality at 14 / 28 days.
More recent research suggests that concentrations as low as 0.03% can act as a penetration enhancer for other skincare actives.
Learn more about Sodium Hyaluronate CrosspolymerWater. 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
