What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventDipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantButylene Glycol
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
SmoothingBetaine
HumectantHydroxyethyl Urea
HumectantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingHydrogenated Ethylhexyl Olivate
EmollientHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingSqualane
EmollientCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingDiphenyl Dimethicone
EmollientAllantoin
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingTriethylhexanoin
MaskingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
HumectantPolyquaternium-51
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables
EmollientAdenosine
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Collagen
EmollientLimnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin ConditioningMacadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
EmollientHydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantSodium Phytate
Triisostearin
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Isostearate
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
EmulsifyingBeta-Glucan
Skin ConditioningCyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningPhellinus Linteus Extract
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin ConditioningSoluble Collagen
HumectantSodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
AntioxidantBakuchiol
AntimicrobialCollagen
MoisturisingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeHydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Skin ConditioningMaltodextrin
AbsorbentTocopherol
AntioxidantHeptasodium Hexacarboxymethyl Dipeptide-12
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Elastin
EmollientMagnesium Chloride
Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine
Skin ConditioningTetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate
Skin ConditioningWater, Propanediol, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Betaine, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Panthenol, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Hydrogenated Ethylhexyl Olivate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Squalane, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Diphenyl Dimethicone, Allantoin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Triethylhexanoin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Polyquaternium-51, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables, Adenosine, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Phytate, Triisostearin, Sorbitan Isostearate, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Ceramide NP, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Beta-Glucan, Cyanocobalamin, Phellinus Linteus Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Soluble Collagen, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Bakuchiol, Collagen, Potassium Sorbate, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Maltodextrin, Tocopherol, Heptasodium Hexacarboxymethyl Dipeptide-12, Hydrolyzed Elastin, Magnesium Chloride, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine, Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate
Bifida Ferment Lysate
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantNiacinamide
SmoothingGlycerin
HumectantLactobacillus/Pumpkin Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningRice Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantHydrolyzed Collagen
EmollientSalix Alba Bark Extract
AstringentOriganum Vulgare Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCinnamomum Zeylanicum Bark Extract
AntimicrobialPortulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin ConditioningChamaecyparis Obtusa Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningBeta-Glucan
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Oligopeptide
CleansingCopper Tripeptide-1
Skin ConditioningAcetyl Hexapeptide-8
HumectantAllantoin
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPanthenol
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingArginine
MaskingButylene Glycol
HumectantScutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
AstringentIllicium Verum Fruit Extract
PerfumingAdenosine
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Bifida Ferment Lysate, Dipropylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Lactobacillus/Pumpkin Ferment Extract, Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Rice Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Origanum Vulgare Leaf Extract, Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Bark Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Chamaecyparis Obtusa Leaf Extract, Beta-Glucan, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Copper Tripeptide-1, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Allantoin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Panthenol, Carbomer, Arginine, Butylene Glycol, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Illicium Verum Fruit Extract, Adenosine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Disodium EDTA
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.Â
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 preservativesÂ
Adenosine is in every living organism. It is one of four components in nucleic acids that helps store our DNA.
Adenosine has many benefits when used. These benefits include hydrating the skin, smoothing skin, and reducing wrinkles. Once applied, adenosine increases collagen production. It also helps with improving firmness and tissue repair.
Studies have found adenosine may also help with wound healing.
In skincare products, Adenosine is usually derived from yeast.
Learn more about AdenosineAllantoin 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 AllantoinBeta-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-GlucanButylene 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 GlycolCarbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerDipropylene Glycol is a synthetically created humectant, stabilizer, and solvent.
This ingredient helps:
Dipropylene glycol is technically an alcohol, but it belongs to the glycol family (often considered part of the ‘good’ alcohols). This means it is hydrating and gentle on skin unlike drying solvent alcohols like denatured alcohol.
As a masking agent, Dipropylene Glycol can be used to cover the smell of other ingredients. However, it does not have a scent.
Studies show Dipropylene Glycol is considered safe to use in skincare.
Learn more about Dipropylene 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 GlycerinHydrolyzed collagen has a misleading name because it is actually a mixture of various proteins/peptides. This ingredient has skin hydrating properties.
Collagen is the most abundant type of structural protein found in your body. In your skin, it is responsible for keeping it firm and youthful.
Hydrolyzed Collagen is created by breaking up proteins into smaller peptide bonds. These peptides act as humectants and emollients.
Humectants are great at holding onto water, keeping skin hydrated. Emollients create a thin barrier on the skin to prevent moisture from escaping.
There is ongoing debate about whether hydrolyzed collagen works because it increases skin hydration. Skin hydration is also linked to elasticity and the appearance of wrinkles.
Collagen or peptide ingredients can be used in the morning or night. They will not increase sun sensitivity, but you should always wear sunscreen during the day.
According to a manufacturer, this ingredient is a great hair conditioner as well.
This ingredient can be extracted from different sources, including:
Vegan collagen is derived from yeast, bacteria, or plant sources. Vegan collagen would go by a different INCI name, such as hydrolyzed soy protein.
The results are varied.
A study from 2021 found hydrolyzed collagen increased elasticity and improved wrinkles in 1,125 participants between age 20 and 70. Another study found increased skin thickness in participants between the ages of 45 to 59.
However, It is difficult to prove that oral collagen will end up working on your skin. Many of the studies using hydrolyzed collagen also add several vitamins and nutrients into the test mixture as well.
Further studies are needed at this time.
Learn more about Hydrolyzed CollagenHydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.
This ingredient helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.
This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.
Learn more about HydroxyethylcelluloseNiacinamide 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 NiacinamidePanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolSodium 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 Hyaluronate