What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantPEG/PPG/Polybutylene Glycol-8/5/3 Glycerin
HumectantBetaine
HumectantMethyl Gluceth-20
HumectantSorbitol
HumectantCamellia Japonica Flower Extract
EmollientZingiber Officinale Root Extract
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativePPG-13-Decyltetradeceth-24
EmulsifyingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Methylparaben
PreservativePropylene Glycol
HumectantSodium Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
MaskingSodium Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Butylene Glycol
HumectantPolyquaternium-51
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantDipropylene Glycol
HumectantPolianthes Tuberosa Polysaccharide
Skin ConditioningSphingomonas Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantWater, Glycerin, PEG/PPG/Polybutylene Glycol-8/5/3 Glycerin, Betaine, Methyl Gluceth-20, Sorbitol, Camellia Japonica Flower Extract, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Phenoxyethanol, PPG-13-Decyltetradeceth-24, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Methylparaben, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Carbomer, Parfum, Sodium Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Butylene Glycol, Polyquaternium-51, Sodium Hyaluronate, Dipropylene Glycol, Polianthes Tuberosa Polysaccharide, Sphingomonas Ferment Extract, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantAlcohol
AntimicrobialHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientDiglycerin
HumectantC13-16 Isoparaffin
SolventAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Zingiber Officinale Root Extract
MaskingCamellia Japonica Flower Extract
EmollientSilica
AbrasiveSodium PCA
HumectantParfum
MaskingArginine
MaskingChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientSodium Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Polyglycerin-3
HumectantSodium Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPEG-12
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantPhytic Acid
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Benzoate
MaskingTocopherol
AntioxidantWater, Glycerin, Alcohol, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Diglycerin, C13-16 Isoparaffin, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Camellia Japonica Flower Extract, Silica, Sodium PCA, Parfum, Arginine, Chlorphenesin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Polyglycerin-3, Sodium Carbomer, PEG-12, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phytic Acid, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Benzoate, Tocopherol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer is a synthetically created polymer. It's used as a film-forming agent and used to thicken the consistency of products.
Think of it as a supportive ingredient that helps your gel-creams feel silky, "cloud cream-like", and spread evenly without being greasy.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel evaluated it (along with 22 other acryloyldimethyltaurate polymers) and concluded it's:
Due to its large molecular size, it sits on the surface of skin rather than penetrating it.
Learn more about Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp CopolymerCamellia Japonica Flower Extract comes from the Japanese Camellia plant. This plant is native to East Asia and known as "Tsubaki" in Japanese.
Tsubaki flowers possess antioxidant and soothing properties. This flower has shown to be effective at fighting pollution damage by protecting your skin's fibroblasts. Your skin's fibroblasts help create collagen and collagen is responsible for youthful, plump skin.
This flower also contains many antioxidant enzymes. Antioxidants help fight free-radical molecules. Free-radical molecules are capable of damaging our cells and other genetic material. They may originate from sunlight, air pollution, or cigarette smoke. These free-radical molecules are unstable and are often looking for missing electrons. This instability causes free-radicals to damage our cells. Antioxidants help stabilize free-radicals by donating extra electrons.
Thus, Camellia Japonica Flower Extract may help reduce the signs of aging.
Learn more about Camellia Japonica Flower ExtractGlycerin (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 GlycerinParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumWe don't have a description for Sodium Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer yet.
Sodium Carbomer is used to thicken products and create a gel-like consistency.
It is synthetically created from carbomer and sodium salt.
Sodium 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 HyaluronateTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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 WaterZingiber Officinale is more commonly known as ginger.
Ginger root has antioxidant, anti-inflammation, and antimicrobial properties.
The antioxidant properties help protect your body from free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells. As a result, ginger may help slow down signs of aging such as hyperpigmentation and wrinkles.
Studies show ginger inhibits the enzyme that breaks down collagen. It also helps with:
This ingredient has no negative side-effects and is safe to use unless one has a specific allergy to it.
Ginger originates from Southeast Asia but has spread throughout the world. It is now a common spice used in many cultures.
Learn more about Zingiber Officinale Root Extract