What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Betaine
Humectant
Glyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantSodium PCA
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Marrubium Vulgare Extract
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Asiaticoside
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingLecithin
Emollient
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingPullulan
Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingDimethicone
Emollient
Trideceth-6
EmulsifyingPEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingHexanediol
SolventCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer
Water, Propanediol, Glycerin, Betaine, Glyceryl Glucoside, Ethoxydiglycol, Sodium PCA, Panthenol, Marrubium Vulgare Extract, Allantoin, Madecassoside, Asiaticoside, Sodium Hyaluronate, Xanthan Gum, Lecithin, Sclerotium Gum, Pullulan, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Dimethicone, Trideceth-6, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Hexanediol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer
Water
Skin ConditioningAcetamidoethoxyethanol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Methyl Gluceth-20
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Asiaticoside
Antioxidant
Madecassic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Asiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Pantolactone
Humectant
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingLecithin
Emollient
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingPullulan
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Water, Acetamidoethoxyethanol, Glycerin, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Pentylene Glycol, Betaine, Propanediol, Methyl Gluceth-20, Panthenol, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, Asiatic Acid, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Pantolactone, Hydroxyacetophenone, Xanthan Gum, Lecithin, Sclerotium Gum, Pullulan, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Lactic 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.
Asiaticoside comes from the super popular skin-soothing ingredient, Centella asiatica. It's the reason centella-based products have a strong reputation for repairing and calming skin, along with its sibling compound Madecassoside.
Research from 2016-2025 supports its role in:
You'll usually find this in concentrations between 0.2-5%.
Learn more about AsiaticosideBetaine is a humectant. Like hyaluronic acid, it helps attract and retain moisture in the skin. It’s known for being gentle and for helping the skin maintain balanced hydration.
Betaine is mainly used to improve hydration and support calmer skin. It helps skin cells regulate water balance because it functions as an osmolyte.
Some studies suggest betaine may support making skin tone more even.
Fun fact: Betaine naturally exists in the skin and the body. In cosmetic products, it can be either plant-derived (most commonly from sugar beets) or synthetically produced for consistency and stability.
Betaine is also known as trimethylglycine.
Learn more about BetaineGlycerin (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 GlycerinLecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
Learn more about LecithinPanthenol 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 PanthenolPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolPullulan is a low viscosity polysaccharide (a long chain carbohydrate) with binding and film forming properties when dissolved in water. It is used to create a "silicone-like" or silky feel in cosmetics without adding viscosity.
According to a manufacturer, this ingredient's ability to easily dissolves makes it a great carrier for active ingredients.
Due to it being edible and tasteless, you'll likely find this ingredient in breath freshener strips. This ingredient is produced from the starch of the fungus, Aureobasidium pullulans.
Pullulan is stable over a broad-range of pH.
Learn more about PullulanSclerotium Gum is a natural sugar-based fiber made by fermenting a fungus called Sclerotium rolfsii. It's often used as the plant-friendly alternative for synthetic thickeners like carbomer.
In skincare, it works as a thickener, gel former, and stabilizer that keeps heavy ingredients suspended so a product does not separate.
It is non-ionic and forms a triple helix in solution. This is just a fancy way of saying it builds a smooth, cushiony, and non-sticky gel that feels silkier than many other gums.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it is very sturdy and holds up across a wide pH range (~2-11). It's also good at resisting heat and hydrolysis.
Since it holds water at the skin surface, it can provide some light hydration as well.
Typical use levels are around 0.25-2%; formulators usually use 0.2-0.5% to thicken lotions and up to 2% for a firmer gel base.
This ingredient has been found safe in cosmetics with no meaningful evidence of skin sensitization.
Learn more about Sclerotium GumWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
