What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
PEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate
Cleansing
Coco-Betaine
Cleansing
Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
Emulsifying
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Squalane
Emollient
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTriethyl Citrate
Masking
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Cholesterol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Capryloyl Glycine
CleansingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBenzoic Acid
Masking
PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate
Emulsifying
PPG-5-Ceteth-20
EmulsifyingPEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmulsifyingWater, Glycerin, PEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate, Coco-Betaine, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Polysorbate 20, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Squalane, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Carbomer, Triethyl Citrate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cholesterol, Citric Acid, Capryloyl Glycine, Hydroxyacetophenone, Caprylyl Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Benzoic Acid, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, PPG-5-Ceteth-20, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Hydrolyzed Potato Starch Dodecenylsuccinate
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Poloxamer 188
EmulsifyingPEG-100 Stearate
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
BHT
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Hydrolyzed Potato Starch Dodecenylsuccinate, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Poloxamer 188, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Polyacrylate, Zea Mays Starch, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Tocopherol, BHT, Parfum
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 GlycerinHydroxyacetophenone is antioxidant with skin conditioning and soothing properties. It also boosts the efficiency of preservatives.
Though naturally occuring in Norwegian spruce needles, this ingredient is usually synthetically created.
This ingredient is not irritating or sensitizing. Recent research also suggests it may have skin-brightening effects through tyrosinase inhibition.
Learn more about HydroxyacetophenonePolysorbate 20 is a gentle, water-soluble emulsifier and mild surfactant. It stops oil and water from separating to keep your formulas blended and stable.
It also acts as a mild penetration enhancer by helping active ingredients absorb slightly better.
The common safety discussion around this ingredient involves a manufacturing byproduct called 1,4-dioxane.
Trace amounts can form during production but the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has concluded that levels at/below 10 ppm in finished products are safe (commercial products consistently fall within acceptable margins).
True allergic reactions are uncommon and the CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.
Because it is derived from lauric acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Polysorbate 20Sodium 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 Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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
