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 ConditioningPolyglycerin-6
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
Azelaic Acid
Buffering
Squalane
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Glycine
Buffering
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Inulin Lauryl Carbamate
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingTetrasodium EDTA
Water, Polyglycerin-6, Glycerin, Azelaic Acid, Squalane, Phenoxyethanol, Panthenol, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Stearic Acid, Allantoin, Sodium PCA, Glycine, Xanthan Gum, Propylene Glycol, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Tetrasodium EDTA
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ethylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinSodium 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 HyaluronateSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideSqualane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).
It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.
This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.
Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.
Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.
No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).
Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.
This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.
Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.
Read more about squalene with an "e".
Though squalane is often called an oil, it’s technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.
The term “oil-free” isn’t regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.
Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.
A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.
The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.
Learn more about SqualaneWater. 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
