What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Junos Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPhytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Succinoyl Atelocollagen
Skin Conditioning
Glycine Max Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningGlutamic Acid
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Citrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialHumulus Lupulus Extract
AntimicrobialPinus Sylvestris Bark Extract
Perfuming
Equisetum Arvense Extract
AstringentSodium PCA
Humectant
Serine
Masking
Lysine
Skin ConditioningGlycine
Buffering
Alanine
Masking
Arginine
Masking
Threonine
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Betaine
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitol
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPolystyrene
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Methylparaben
Preservative
Propylparaben
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Extract, Ceramide AP, Ceramide NP, Ceramide EOP, Citrus Junos Fruit Extract, Phytosphingosine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Succinoyl Atelocollagen, Glycine Max Seed Extract, Glutamic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Humulus Lupulus Extract, Pinus Sylvestris Bark Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Sodium PCA, Serine, Lysine, Glycine, Alanine, Arginine, Threonine, Proline, Cholesterol, Betaine, Allantoin, Sorbitol, Disodium EDTA, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Carbomer, Polystyrene, Sodium Benzoate, Methylparaben, Propylparaben
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantDimethicone
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Α-Olefin Oligomer
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Triethylhexanoin
MaskingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Lactococcus/Hyaluronic Acid Ferment Filtrate
C12-13 Alkyl Glyceryl Hydrolyzed Hyaluronate
Aphanothece Sacrum Polysaccharide
AbsorbentButylene Glycol
Humectant
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Arginine
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingPropanediol
Solvent
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Α-Olefin Oligomer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Triethylhexanoin, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Lactococcus/Hyaluronic Acid Ferment Filtrate, C12-13 Alkyl Glyceryl Hydrolyzed Hyaluronate, Aphanothece Sacrum Polysaccharide, Butylene Glycol, Palmitic Acid, Arginine, Carbomer, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Disodium EDTA, Cetyl Phosphate, Propanediol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid. This just means our bodies can product a bit on its own, but sometimes needs a little boost from food sources.
It is a part of your skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.
Here's an interesting thing about Arginine: your skin converts it into urea through the Krebs-Henseleit urea cycle. Urea is one of the most effective humectants your skin naturally produces.
A clinical study showed applying 2.5% arginine hydrochloride to atopic dermatitis skin showed significant urea levels in the stratum corneum and improved moisture in just four weeks.
Arginine is also a precursor to nitric oxide; nitric oxide improves microcirculation and supports wound healing and collagen synthesis.
One study found that an amino acid complex containing Arginine reduced skin irritation, improved hydration, and accelerated skin repair in clinical / in-vivo studies.
Arginine itself is an amino acid and not a fatty acid, oil, or ester. On its own, it's not a direct food source for Malassezia, or the yeast that causes fungal acne.
Learn more about ArginineButylene 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 CarbomerDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 AcidSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate is a type of Hyaluronic Acid.
Hyaluronic Acids help moisturize, soothe, and protect the skin.
Read about common types of Hyaluronic Acid here:
Learn more about Sodium Acetylated HyaluronateSodium 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
