This hydrating serum is formulated around Urea and Panthenol to hydrate skin and strengthen the skin barrier.
This brightening essence is formulated around Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate and Niacinamide to brighten dull-looking skin and strengthen the skin barrier.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantUrea
BufferingSodium Lactate
BufferingSodium PCA
HumectantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningLactic Acid
BufferingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantAcetyl Glucosamine
Skin ConditioningHyaluronic Acid
HumectantHydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
HumectantAllantoin
Skin ConditioningPhospholipids
Skin ConditioningSphingolipids
EmollientCitric Acid
BufferingTocopherol
AntioxidantTremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract
AntioxidantP-Anisic Acid
MaskingSodium Citrate
BufferingWater, Pentylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Urea, Sodium Lactate, Sodium PCA, Panthenol, Lactic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Acetyl Glucosamine, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Allantoin, Phospholipids, Sphingolipids, Citric Acid, Tocopherol, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract, P-Anisic Acid, Sodium Citrate
Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate
HumectantWater
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
SmoothingGlycerin
HumectantPropanediol
SolventButylene Glycol
HumectantKetoglutaric Acid
Saccharomyces Ferment
Skin ConditioningGlycolipids
Skin ConditioningNatto Gum
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialTheanine
EmollientGlycereth-26
HumectantAdenosine
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCaffeine
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientCholesterol
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPolyglycerin-3
HumectantPEG-8
HumectantHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingPotassium Hydroxide
Buffering1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeSaccharomyces Ferment Filtrate, Water, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Ketoglutaric Acid, Saccharomyces Ferment, Glycolipids, Natto Gum, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Theanine, Glycereth-26, Adenosine, Carbomer, Caffeine, Caprylyl Glycol, Cholesterol, Pentylene Glycol, Polyglycerin-3, PEG-8, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Potassium Hydroxide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinPentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolWater. 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