What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingPortulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin ConditioningHouttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPropanediol
SolventEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Disodium Phosphate
BufferingPolysorbate 60
EmulsifyingSodium Phosphate
BufferingTocopherol
AntioxidantGlycerin
HumectantHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantMyristoyl Pentapeptide-17
Skin ConditioningCopper Tripeptide-1
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientBenzoic Acid
MaskingSodium Benzoate
MaskingWater, 1,2-Hexanediol, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Carbomer, Propanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Disodium Phosphate, Polysorbate 60, Sodium Phosphate, Tocopherol, Glycerin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17, Copper Tripeptide-1, Caprylyl Glycol, Benzoic Acid, Sodium Benzoate
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantDipropylene Glycol
HumectantTromethamine
BufferingHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientSaccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCynanchum Atratum Extract
Skin ConditioningDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
HumectantBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicCaffeine
Skin ConditioningMyristoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin ConditioningLecithin
EmollientAvena Strigosa Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningMyristoyl Pentapeptide-17
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeCitric Acid
BufferingAcetyl Hexapeptide-8
HumectantCopper Tripeptide-1
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin ConditioningWater, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Tromethamine, Hydroxyacetophenone, Carbomer, Caprylyl Glycol, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract, Disodium EDTA, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycerin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Cynanchum Atratum Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Biotin, Caffeine, Myristoyl Pentapeptide-4, Lecithin, Avena Strigosa Seed Extract, Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Copper Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
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
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 GlycolCaprylyl 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 GlycolCopper Tripeptide-1 (GHK-Cu) is a skin repairing ingredient known for its ability to boost collagen, improve firmness, and support skin regeneration.
It is a complex made up of a naturally occurring peptide (glycine-histidine-lysine) and copper, an essential trace element.
While studying wound healing, researchers noticed GHK-Cu stimulated hair follicle enlargement and growth by keeping hair in its active growth phase longer. This has made it a promising ingredient for hair regrowth treatments.
Some people have reported increased facial hair. While GHK-Cu can make your hair follicles bigger, it usually doesn’t turn soft, barely-visible facial hairs into thick, dark ones.
Anecdotal reports suggest that overusing copper peptides might lead to premature aging due to excess free copper or enzyme imbalances. This claim isn’t backed by large-scale studies.
Unfortunately, there are limited human studies for this ingredient. While early results are promising, many studies are either small, in-vitro, or not rigorously controlled.
For example, there is a 1998 study that explored the effects of copper tripeptide, vitamin C, tretinoin, and melatonin on skin repair and collagen synthesis.
After one month, increased procollagen production was seen in 7 out of 10 participants using copper tripeptide (more than those using vitamin C, melatonin, or tretinoin.
While the study was exploratory, it offers early evidence that copper tripeptide may support collagen production. Larger, well-designed trials are still needed to confirm its potential and understand individual responses.
Read more about other common types of peptides here:
Learn more about Copper Tripeptide-1Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydroxyacetophenone is antioxidant with skin conditioning and soothing properties. It also boosts the efficiency of preservatives.
Though naturally occuring in Norwegian spruce needles, this ingredient is usually synthetically created.
This ingredient is not irritating or sensitizing. Recent research also suggests it may have skin-brightening effects through tyrosinase inhibition.
Learn more about HydroxyacetophenoneMyristoyl Pentapeptide-17 is a five amino peptide attached to myristic acid to help it absorb better into skin. It's mostly used for lash growth and as a delivery vehicle for other ingredients.
The myristic acid "tail" is basically a delivery upgrade that helps the peptide mix with your skin's natural oils so it can get where it needs to go.
In your eyelash follicles, it activates the keratin gene and promotes nutrient absorption into the follicle. This translates to thicker and longer eyelashes over time.
Besides stimulating keratin production for lash growth, this ingredient enhances the delivery of other active ingredients in a formula.
The clinical evidence is still pretty early-stage at this point. A 90 day study in 29 participants found improvements in lash length (10.52%), volume (9.3%), thickness (35%), and curl (50.83%) with no adverse reactions reported.
You might have heard that eyelash serums can cause pigmentation change in eye color to turn eyes brown. This is associated with a different class of lash serum ingredients: prostaglandin analogs.
Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17 is a different thing entirely and has no known association with iris pigmentation changes. The 90 day study noted no adverse effects around the eye area at all.
Learn more about Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17Water. 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