What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantPolyester-5
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Pvp
Emulsion StabilisingPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Symphytum Officinale Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Bifida Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Lactococcus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Japonica Flower Extract
EmollientHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Glycolipids
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydroxystearic Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glycosphingolipids
EmollientHyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Potassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningWater, Dipropylene Glycol, Polyester-5, Glycerin, Propanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Pvp, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Symphytum Officinale Leaf Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, Camellia Japonica Flower Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Ceramide NP, Glycolipids, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydroxystearic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Glycosphingolipids, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Potassium Hyaluronate
Water
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
Propanediol
Solvent
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Amp-Acrylates/Allyl Methacrylate Copolymer
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDistarch Phosphate
AbsorbentTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ectoin
Skin Conditioning
Benzyl Glycol
SolventHyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Raspberry Ketone
Masking
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Water, Niacinamide, Propanediol, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Amp-Acrylates/Allyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Distarch Phosphate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ectoin, Benzyl Glycol, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Raspberry Ketone, Saccharide Isomerate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycerinHyaluronic acid (HA) is a glycosaminoglycan (basically a long sugar chain) that your skin already makes on its own. In your skin, HA lives in the extracellular matrix and acts as the body's moisture reservoir.
Topically, HA is a humectant that binds water and helps skin look more plump, smooth, and hydrated.
The only catch is that HA isn't a single thing; it actually comes in a wide range of molecular weights (~50 - 2,000+ kDA) and size matters.
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
This is why the best HA serums blend the two sizes together so you get the best of both worlds.
The majority of cosmetic HA is produced by bacterial fermentation, typically using Streptococcus or Bacillus strains. Typical use levels in skincare sit around 0.1-2%.
A clinical study using a 0.2% low-molecular weight HA gel showed improvement in facial seborrheic dermatitis with excellent tolerance.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Learn more about Hyaluronic AcidHydrolyzed 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 AcidPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.Â
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolSodium 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
