This calming serum is formulated around Centella Asiatica Extract and Sh-Oligopeptide-1 to calm redness and strengthen the skin barrier.
This barrier-repair serum is formulated around Saccharomyces/Snail Secretion Filtrate Ferment Filtrate and Niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier and calm redness.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Centella Asiatica Extract
CleansingPropanediol
SolventWater
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantBetaine
HumectantSh-Oligopeptide-1
Skin ConditioningLecithin
EmollientSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
HumectantAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientMomordica Charantia Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSambucus Nigra Flower Extract
RefreshingLeontopodium Alpinum Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialAllantoin
Skin ConditioningAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientTropolone
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAdenosine
Skin ConditioningMadecassoside 80%
AntioxidantCentella Asiatica Extract, Propanediol, Water, Glycerin, Betaine, Sh-Oligopeptide-1, Lecithin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Momordica Charantia Fruit Extract, Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract, Leontopodium Alpinum Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Allantoin, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Sodium Polyacrylate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Tropolone, Xanthan Gum, Adenosine, Madecassoside 80%
Saccharomyces/Snail Secretion Filtrate Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Water
AntimicrobialCamellia Sinensis Leaf Water
MaskingButylene Glycol
HumectantWater
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
SmoothingGlycerin
HumectantPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventLactobacillus/Panax Ginseng Root Extract Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus/Rice Ferment
Skin ConditioningSaccharomyces/Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningSaccharomyces/Potato Extract Ferment Filtrate
HumectantCopper Tripeptide-1
Skin ConditioningHexapeptide-11
Skin ConditioningHexapeptide-9
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin ConditioningTripeptide-1
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin ConditioningChamaecyparis Obtusa Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningDiospyros Kaki Leaf Extract
Skin ProtectingUlmus Campestris Bark Extract
AstringentPlantago Asiatica Extract
Skin ConditioningLaminaria Digitata Extract
Skin ProtectingSalix Alba Bark Extract
AstringentAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientAlthaea Rosea Root Extract
HumectantAllantoin
Skin ConditioningAdenosine
Skin ConditioningBee Venom
AstringentBeta-Glucan
Skin ConditioningBetaine
HumectantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
BufferingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSaccharomyces/Snail Secretion Filtrate Ferment Filtrate, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Water, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, Butylene Glycol, Water, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, Lactobacillus/Panax Ginseng Root Extract Ferment Filtrate, Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Lactobacillus/Rice Ferment, Saccharomyces/Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Ferment Filtrate, Saccharomyces/Potato Extract Ferment Filtrate, Copper Tripeptide-1, Hexapeptide-11, Hexapeptide-9, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Tripeptide-1, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Chamaecyparis Obtusa Leaf Extract, Diospyros Kaki Leaf Extract, Ulmus Campestris Bark Extract, Plantago Asiatica Extract, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Althaea Rosea Root Extract, Allantoin, Adenosine, Bee Venom, Beta-Glucan, Betaine, Panthenol, Citric Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Adenosine is a purine nucleoside that your body already makes in every cell. In skincare, it acts mainly as a skin conditioning and anti-aging agent.
The way it works is fairly well mapped out:
Your skin has cells called fibroblasts that build collagen (the stuff that keeps skin firm and smooth). Adenosine basically flips a switch on these cells that tells them to get to work making more collagen and other proteins. These cells slow down on their own as skin ages, so Adenosine helps give them a little nudge to keep going.
The clinical backing is pretty solid too.
A blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 126 women aged 45-65 tested a 0.1% cream twice daily and found real improvements in crow's feet and frown lines using a precise 3D skin-mapping technique; these changes showed up by week 3 and held at 2 months.
A later study using Adenosine-loaded dissolving microneedle patches reported gains in wrinkle depth, dermal density, elasticity, and hydration.
On concentrations, South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has set 0.04% as the approved functional anti-wrinkle level. You'll typically see this ingredient used somewhere in the 0.04-0.1% range since it works at low doses.
This ingredient has been found safe for cosmetics with the data showing no irritation or sensitization.
Overall, this is a great ingredient for any anti-aging routine and has no photosensitizing effect, so it suits both AM and PM use.
Learn more about AdenosineAllantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract is a botanical extract pulled from the leaves of aloe vera and one of the most studied plant ingredients in cosmetics.
The inner leaf gel it comes from is mostly water (~99-99.5%) and the remaining fraction is made up of pretty good stuff: polysaccharides, vitamins, phenolics, and enzymes.
Its headline job is hydration.
The star polysaccharide in aloe, acemannan, is a humectant that retains moisture and helps reduce trans-epidermal water loss.
Aloe also has real soothing credentials; it contains anti-inflammatory compounds like bradykinase and C-glucosyl chromone that help calm irritation and redness.
On the repair side, lab work shows that acemannan wakes up your skin's repair cells (fibroblasts), prompting them to multiply and speed up healing.
There's some human data for cosmetic benefit too: a cream containing 10% Aloe Barbadensis leaf extract improved skin hydration and elasticity in a real-use study.
Safety-wise, this ingredient is well-regarded with just one rare downside; there have been some case reports of acute eczema, contact urticaria, and dermatitis in people who applied aloe-derived ingredients topically. Those with a known aloe or Liliaceae sensitivity should patch test.
Typical use levels range widely, from under 1% up to 90%+ depending on the format and the effect you are after.
Learn more about Aloe Barbadensis Leaf ExtractBetaine 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 BetaineCaprylyl 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 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 GlycerinPanthenol 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 PropanediolWater. 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