This hydrating serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Adenosine to hydrate skin and soften the look of wrinkles.
This barrier-repair treatment is formulated around Cholesterol to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantCetyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Glycereth-26
Humectant
Tuber Magnatum Extract
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Polypropylsilsesquioxane
Betaine
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Collagen Extract
Skin Conditioning
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Hibiscus Esculentus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingArginine
Masking
Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Diospyros Kaki Leaf Extract
Skin Protecting
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTanacetum Annuum Flower Oil
Masking
Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Flower Extract
EmollientSolanum Melongena Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCarthamus Tinctorius Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCoffea Arabica Seed Extract
Masking
Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
Antioxidant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Castanea Crenata Shell Extract
Skin ConditioningZanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Palmitoyl Proline
Skin ConditioningSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingCorallina Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Antioxidant
Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningArtemisia Annua Extract
Masking
Nelumbium Speciosum Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Saccharomyces Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Glucose
Humectant
Mannose
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningHydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Potassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Glycereth-26, Tuber Magnatum Extract, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Persea Gratissima Oil, Polypropylsilsesquioxane, Betaine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Tocopherol, Collagen Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Disodium EDTA, Adenosine, Saccharide Isomerate, Glycerin, Hibiscus Esculentus Fruit Extract, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Arginine, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Diospyros Kaki Leaf Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tanacetum Annuum Flower Oil, Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Carthamus Tinctorius Flower Extract, Coffea Arabica Seed Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Castanea Crenata Shell Extract, Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract, Sodium Palmitoyl Proline, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Artemisia Annua Extract, Nelumbium Speciosum Flower Extract, Oryza Sativa Extract, Saccharomyces Ferment, Glucose, Mannose, Sodium Hyaluronate, Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Potassium Hyaluronate, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin)
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientHydroxypropyl Bislauramide Mea
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Surfactin
CleansingCholesterol
Emollient
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientDisodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningBehenic Acid
Cleansing
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
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 GlycolCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCetyl Ethylhexanoate is an emollient ester. It comes from cetearyl alcohol and 2-ethylhexanoic acid.
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate is an emollient that adds a velvety feel to skin without being greasy or oily. Emollients help trap moisture into your skin, keeping your skin soft and hydrated.
Disodium 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 GlycerinTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
