What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantPropanediol
Solvent
Saccharomyces Lysate Extract
Humectant
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Bifida Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Creatine
Skin ConditioningErgothioneine
Antioxidant
Adenosine Phosphate
Skin ConditioningPunica Granatum Fruit Juice
MaskingAcetyl Carnitine Hcl
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
PEG-8
HumectantPPG-6-Decyltetradeceth-30
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTrehalose
Humectant
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingFaex Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Polyquaternium-51
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Tromethamine
BufferingTrisodium Hedta
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Propanediol, Saccharomyces Lysate Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Caffeine, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Acetyl Glucosamine, Lactobacillus Ferment, Creatine, Ergothioneine, Adenosine Phosphate, Punica Granatum Fruit Juice, Acetyl Carnitine Hcl, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, PEG-8, PPG-6-Decyltetradeceth-30, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Trehalose, Hexylene Glycol, Faex Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Polyquaternium-51, Butylene Glycol, Tromethamine, Trisodium Hedta, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Acetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Faex Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Adenosine Phosphate
Skin ConditioningHordeum Vulgare Extract
EmollientPantethine
EmollientTriticum Vulgare Germ Extract
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningGold
Cosmetic ColorantCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSilica
Abrasive
Tromethamine
BufferingPolymethylsilsesquioxane
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingParfum
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caramel
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantMica
Cosmetic ColorantCI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Polysorbate 20, Acetyl Glucosamine, Faex Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Adenosine Phosphate, Hordeum Vulgare Extract, Pantethine, Triticum Vulgare Germ Extract, Cholesterol, Squalane, Linoleic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Gold, Caprylyl Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Silica, Tromethamine, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Hexylene Glycol, Parfum, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Caramel, CI 77891, Mica, CI 17200
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Acetyl Glucosamine is an antioxidant and humectant. It is an amino acid sugar and is naturally found in our skin.
The cool thing about this ingredient? It helps the skin produce hyaluronic acid and boost hydration. It also has antioxidant benefits to protect skin cells.
When paired with niacinamide, Acetyl Glucosamine has been shown to be effective at reducing discoloration.
Learn more about Acetyl GlucosamineAdenosine Phosphate is an antioxidant and helps soothe skin.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolWe don't have a description for Faex Extract yet.
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 GlycerinHexylene Glycol is a multitasker ingredient that works as a solvent, humectant, emulsifier, viscosity reducer, and preservative booster.
It is able to dissolve both water and oil-soluble ingredients to stabilize tricky actives and make products spread more easily.
As a humectant, it pulls water into the skin. But it's a pretty minor moisturizing ingredient compared to other humectants, like glycerin.
Interestingly, it can act as a mild penetration enhancer. One in vitro study on human skin found a 12% concentration upped the absorption of mometasone furoate (a medicinal ingredient used to treat inflammatory skin conditions) up to 7%.
This ingredient is typically used at levels of 0.1-10% depending on the role it's playing.
A patch test study on eczema patients didn't find a significant increase in irritation versus the control group, but the potential for irritation rises at higher concentrations.
Learn more about Hexylene GlycolPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
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 HyaluronateTromethamine helps balance the pH and improve the texture of a product. It is synthetically created.
As an emulsifier, Tromethamine prevents oil and water ingredients from separating. This helps stabilize the product and elongate a product's shelf life. Tromethamine also makes a product thicker.
Tromethamine helps balance the pH level of a product. Normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5). The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome. Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.
Oral Tromethanmine is an anti-inflammatory drug but plays the role of masking, adding fragrance, and/or balancing pH in skincare.
1,3-Propanediol, 2-amino-2-(hydroxymethyl)-
Learn more about TromethamineWater. 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
