What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Laminaria Japonica Extract
Skin Protecting
Euphorbia Cerifera Wax
Lactobacillus
Skin ConditioningRehmannia Chinensis Root Extract
Skin ConditioningAlisma Plantago Aquatica Extract
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Glycine Max Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningEclipta Prostrata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Pueraria Lobata Root Extract
HumectantAnemarrhena Asphodeloides Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Paeonia Lactiflora Extract
AstringentPinus Thunbergii Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningAcanthopanax Senticosus Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPolygonum Multiflorum Root Extract
Skin ConditioningCornus Officinalis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningDioscorea Japonica Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract
Skin ProtectingGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPyrus Malus Seed Oil
Emollient
Mentha Arvensis Leaf Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Euphorbia Cerifera Wax, Lactobacillus, Rehmannia Chinensis Root Extract, Alisma Plantago Aquatica Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Glycine Max Seed Extract, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Anemarrhena Asphodeloides Root Extract, Paeonia Lactiflora Extract, Pinus Thunbergii Leaf Extract, Acanthopanax Senticosus Root Extract, Polygonum Multiflorum Root Extract, Cornus Officinalis Fruit Extract, Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Xanthan Gum, Pyrus Malus Seed Oil, Mentha Arvensis Leaf Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Sea Water
HumectantButylene Glycol
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Undaria Pinnatifida Extract
Skin ConditioningLaminaria Japonica Extract
Skin Protecting
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Olivate
Hizikia Fusiforme Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicEcklonia Cava Extract
Skin Conditioning
Codium Fragile Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sargassum Fulvellum Extract
Skin ConditioningGelidium Cartilagineum Extract
Skin ProtectingHydrolyzed Soy Protein
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Pea Protein
EmollientHydrolyzed Hazelnut Protein
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Barley Protein
Skin ConditioningHydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Glycine
Buffering
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Arginine
Masking
Potassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Behentrimonium Chloride, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Isopropyl Alcohol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Caprylyl Glycol, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Disodium EDTA, Sea Water, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Panthenol, Undaria Pinnatifida Extract, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetearyl Olivate, Hizikia Fusiforme Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Gluconolactone, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Biotin, Ecklonia Cava Extract, Codium Fragile Extract, Sargassum Fulvellum Extract, Gelidium Cartilagineum Extract, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Hydrolyzed Pea Protein, Hydrolyzed Hazelnut Protein, Hydrolyzed Barley Protein, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Glycine, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Glutamic Acid, Arginine, Potassium Hyaluronate, Parfum, Limonene, Linalool
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Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholLaminaria Japonica Extract is an extract of Japanese kelp, the same brown seaweed sold as kombu.
This ingredient is usually extracted from dried, ground kelp with water or a water/glycol mix. Most of what ends up in your bottle is mostly big sugar molecules, minerals, and amino acids rather than oils.
Those sugars help hold water and form a light film on the skin's surface, giving it humectant and mild-barrier supporting properties.
The best human data is a small Korean study where a cream with 10% extract upped skin hydration about 14% over placebo and cut water loss through the skin for up to eight hours.
Beyond this study, most of the anti-aging and anti-inflammatory claims come from mouse and cell studies; these studies found that topical kelp sugars preserved collagen in aging mice and the extract calmed UVB-triggered inflammation markers in cultured skin cells.
Though this sounds promising, it isn't the same as proof on human faces.
Industry data shows this ingredient is usually used anywhere from 0.0005% - 5%. Most leave-on products sit well under 1% and the 5% end mostly shows up in bath products.
Allergy-risk for this ingredient looks low as well. A cream with 10% extract patch-tested on 25 people caused no irritation and there have been no sensitization reports either.
There is one real allergy report on "laminaria" that involves medical cervical dilators made from whole dried kelp stems inserted internally; though this is a very different exposure from a few tenths of a percent in a serum.
Learn more about Laminaria Japonica ExtractWater. 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
