What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningMethylpropanediol
SolventMethyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Betaine
Humectant
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Macrocystis Pyrifera Extract
Skin Conditioning
Orchid Extract
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Ficus Carica Fruit Extract
Humectant
Morinda Citrifolia Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningVigna Radiata Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Cupressus Sempervirens Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Morinda Citrifolia Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningFlower Extract
Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Isostearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientButylene Glycol Cocoate
Emulsifying
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
Antioxidant
Fructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Ethylcellulose
Disodium EDTA
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydroxydecyl Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba Gum
Emulsion StabilisingAgar
MaskingHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingMagnolol
Antioxidant
Honokiol
Antioxidant
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Methylpropanediol, Methyl Trimethicone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycerin, Betaine, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Macrocystis Pyrifera Extract, Orchid Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Ficus Carica Fruit Extract, Morinda Citrifolia Leaf Extract, Vigna Radiata Seed Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract, Cupressus Sempervirens Leaf Extract, Morinda Citrifolia Fruit Extract, Flower Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Isostearyl Alcohol, Isononyl Isononanoate, Butylene Glycol Cocoate, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Fructooligosaccharides, Ethylcellulose, Disodium EDTA, Beta-Glucan, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxydecyl Ubiquinone, Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba Gum, Agar, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Ceramide NP, Xanthan Gum, Magnolol, Honokiol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Methyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Methylpropanediol
SolventPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Raffinose
Skin ConditioningBetaine
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningEthylcellulose
Butylene Glycol Cocoate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Isostearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polyquaternium-51
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Methyl Trimethicone, Methylpropanediol, Panthenol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Raffinose, Betaine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Allantoin, Madecassoside, Beta-Glucan, Ethylhexylglycerin, Ethylcellulose, Butylene Glycol Cocoate, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Isostearyl Alcohol, Polyquaternium-51
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.Β
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 preservativesΒ
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer is a synthetically created polymer. It's used as a film-forming agent and used to thicken the consistency of products.
Think of it as a supportive ingredient that helps your gel-creams feel silky, "cloud cream-like", and spread evenly without being greasy.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel evaluated it (along with 22 other acryloyldimethyltaurate polymers) and concluded it's:
Due to its large molecular size, it sits on the surface of skin rather than penetrating it.
Learn more about Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp CopolymerBeta-Glucan is a polysaccharide. It can be derived from the cell walls of seaweed, oats, yeast, and fungi. It hydrates the skin and helps boost your skin's natural barrier.
As an antioxidant, beta-glucan helps fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells, such as pollution.
Studies show this ingredient may be an effective wrinkle reducer as it can deeply penetrate into skin. It has also been show to help with wound healing.
Learn more about Beta-GlucanBetaine 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 Cocoate isn't fungal acne safe. It can be bad for dry skin.
We don't have a description for Ethylcellulose yet.
Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid (HA) that is broken down into lower molecular weight fragments.
It's a humectant that pulls and holds water in the skin to help with hydration, plumpness, and reduce transepidermal water loss.
Because hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid is smaller in size, it can slip past your outermost layer of skin more easily than full-sized HA.
Most formulations will combine all sizes to get the best of both worlds.
Typical usage levels range from 0.01-1%. Any percentage higher than 2% might become goopy and tacky.
Learn more about Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic AcidIsostearyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol. It's made by hydrogenating isostearic acid from plant oils (usually coconut or soybean)
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not the same as solvent alcohols like alcohol denatured.
It has three roles in skincare:
Clinical patch testing found 25% of Isostearyl Alcohol in petrolatum showed only mild irritation in a small minority (your product will not have nearly as high of an amount).
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because it sits in the C11-C24 range that feeds the Malassezia yeast.
One last thing, the FDA allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Isostearyl AlcoholMethyl Trimethicone is a type of silicone. It is a solvent and emulsifier.
Solvents are used to keep ingredients together in a product. They can help dissolve ingredients to stable bases or help evenly distribute ingredients throughout the product.
Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. It does this by preventing certain ingredients from separating.
Methyl Trimethicone does not get absorbed into the skin.
Learn more about Methyl TrimethiconeMethylpropanediol is a synthetic solvent and humectant.
As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients, helping to evenly distribute ingredients throughout the product. This ingredient has also been shown to have antimicrobial properties which makes it a preservative booster.
Methylpropanediol is able to add a bit of moisture to the skin. It also helps other ingredients be better absorbed into the skin, such as salicylic acid.
Learn more about MethylpropanediolSodium 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
