What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Octyldodecyl Myristate
EmollientButylene Glycol
Humectant
Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
PPG-24-Glycereth-24
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Glycereth-26
Humectant
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water
MaskingC13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Sodium Polyaspartate
HumectantTrehalose
Humectant
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingGlycyrrhetinic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Sucrose
Humectant
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer
Polyacrylamide
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
BHT
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Lactic Acid, Octyldodecyl Myristate, Butylene Glycol, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Dimethicone, PPG-24-Glycereth-24, Sodium Hydroxide, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Glycereth-26, Polysorbate 80, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caffeine, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Sodium Polyaspartate, Trehalose, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Sucrose, Laureth-7, Xanthan Gum, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Polyacrylamide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, BHT, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Mica, CI 77891, CI 77491
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Polyglycerin-6
HumectantPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Azelaic Acid
Buffering
Propanediol
Solvent
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glyceryl Ether
CleansingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Citrate
BufferingBetaine
Humectant
Caulerpa Lentillifera Extract
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Phytate
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Water, Glycerin, Polyglycerin-6, Pentylene Glycol, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Azelaic Acid, Propanediol, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glyceryl Ether, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Citrate, Betaine, Caulerpa Lentillifera Extract, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Phytate, Sodium Benzoate, Citric 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.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinSodium 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 HyaluronateSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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
