What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantPropanediol
Solvent1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantAllantoin
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Citrate
BufferingCitric Acid
BufferingCentella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningHyaluronic Acid
HumectantHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantBiosaccharide Gum-1
HumectantHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingWater
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantDipropylene Glycol
HumectantPolyglyceryl-10 Stearate
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingPanthenol
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingLimnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin ConditioningVinyldimethicone
Squalane
EmollientSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingMyristoyl/Palmitoyl Oxostearamide/Arachamide Mea
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningBis-Capryloyloxypalmitamido Isopropanol
EmollientAdenosine
Skin ConditioningDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
HumectantMadecassoside
AntioxidantAllantoin
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPhytosteryl/Isostearyl/Cetyl/Stearyl/Behenyl Dimer Dilinoleate
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Stearate
EmulsifyingCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientPhytosterols
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantHydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingSorbitan Laurate
EmulsifyingHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingAcetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester
Skin ConditioningBisabolol
AntioxidantGlyceryl Glucoside
HumectantGlucose
HumectantXylitylglucoside
HumectantAnhydroxylitol
HumectantXylitol
HumectantGlycosphingolipids
EmollientPhospholipids
Skin ConditioningMentha Viridis Leaf Oil
AstringentMentha Viridis Extract
MaskingCitrus Nobilis Peel Oil
MaskingPelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
MaskingThymus Vulgaris Oil
MaskingEucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil
PerfumingBarosma Betulina Leaf Extract
Perfuming1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Arginine
MaskingGlyceryl Behenate
EmollientPolyglyceryl-6 Octastearate
EmulsifyingStearic Acid
CleansingWater, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Panthenol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Vinyldimethicone, Squalane, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Myristoyl/Palmitoyl Oxostearamide/Arachamide Mea, Ceramide NP, Bis-Capryloyloxypalmitamido Isopropanol, Adenosine, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Madecassoside, Allantoin, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Phytosteryl/Isostearyl/Cetyl/Stearyl/Behenyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Sorbitan Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Phytosterols, Xanthan Gum, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Sorbitan Laurate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Bisabolol, Glyceryl Glucoside, Glucose, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Glycosphingolipids, Phospholipids, Mentha Viridis Leaf Oil, Mentha Viridis Extract, Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Thymus Vulgaris Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Barosma Betulina Leaf Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Arginine, Glyceryl Behenate, Polyglyceryl-6 Octastearate, Stearic Acid
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.
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 preservatives
Allantoin 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 AllantoinButylene 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 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 AcidHydroxyethylcellulose 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 HydroxyethylcelluloseSodium 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