What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Propylene Glycol Dibenzoate
Skin ConditioningIsostearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAnhydroxylitol
Humectant
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Calendula Officinalis Flower Oil
Masking
Xylitol
Humectant
Lecithin
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAvena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Citric Acid
Buffering
Humulus Lupulus Extract
AntimicrobialHydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans
HumectantCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Citrate
BufferingHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Terminalia Chebula Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Squalane, Propanediol, Xylitylglucoside, Saccharide Isomerate, Bisabolol, Propylene Glycol Dibenzoate, Isostearyl Alcohol, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Anhydroxylitol, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Beta-Glucan, Calendula Officinalis Flower Oil, Xylitol, Lecithin, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Citric Acid, Humulus Lupulus Extract, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Ceramide NP, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Citrate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Terminalia Chebula Fruit Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Avena Sativa Meal Extract
SoothingPanax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Panax Ginseng Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Persea Gratissima Fruit Extract
EmollientCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Cinchona Succirubra Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningCucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Triticum Vulgare Germ Extract
Skin ConditioningMannitol
Humectant
Sorbitol
Humectant
Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
PEG-9 Diglycidyl Ether/Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Skin ConditioningHydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningZinc PCA
Humectant
Tetrasodium EDTA
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Panthenol, Niacinamide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Allantoin, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Avena Sativa Meal Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Panax Ginseng Seed Oil, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Persea Gratissima Oil, Persea Gratissima Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Cinchona Succirubra Bark Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Triticum Vulgare Germ Extract, Mannitol, Sorbitol, Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Ceramide NP, Phenoxyethanol, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Polysorbate 20, Ethylhexylglycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, PEG-9 Diglycidyl Ether/Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Potassium Hyaluronate, Zinc PCA, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ceramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
Learn more about Ceramide NPEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinHyaluronic acid (HA) is a glycosaminoglycan (basically a long sugar chain) that your skin already makes on its own. In your skin, HA lives in the extracellular matrix and acts as the body's moisture reservoir.
Topically, HA is a humectant that binds water and helps skin look more plump, smooth, and hydrated.
The only catch is that HA isn't a single thing; it actually comes in a wide range of molecular weights (~50 - 2,000+ kDA) and size matters.
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
This is why the best HA serums blend the two sizes together so you get the best of both worlds.
The majority of cosmetic HA is produced by bacterial fermentation, typically using Streptococcus or Bacillus strains. Typical use levels in skincare sit around 0.1-2%.
A clinical study using a 0.2% low-molecular weight HA gel showed improvement in facial seborrheic dermatitis with excellent tolerance.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Learn more about Hyaluronic AcidHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid (HA) that is broken down into lower molecular weight fragments.
It's a humectant that pulls and holds water in the skin to help with hydration, plumpness, and reduce transepidermal water loss.
Because hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid is smaller in size, it can slip past your outermost layer of skin more easily than full-sized HA.
Most formulations will combine all sizes to get the best of both worlds.
Typical usage levels range from 0.01-1%. Any percentage higher than 2% might become goopy and tacky.
Learn more about Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic AcidSodium 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 HyaluronateWater. 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
