What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Ethylparaben
Preservative
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Squalane, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Dimethicone, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Polysorbate 20, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Potassium Hydroxide, Tocopherol, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben
Water
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
Cyclomethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Betaine
Humectant
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Laminaria Digitata Extract
Skin Protecting
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Cetyl-Pg Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
Emollient
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Silica Silylate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientSodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTrideceth-6
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Hamamelis Virginiana Bark/Leaf Extract
AstringentZinc PCA
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Niacinamide, Cyclomethicone, Glycerin, Betaine, Caprylyl Methicone, Laminaria Digitata Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Cetyl-Pg Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide, Cholesterol, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide NP, Ceramide As, Ceramide AP, Squalane, Panthenol, Silica Silylate, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Trideceth-6, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Allantoin, Hamamelis Virginiana Bark/Leaf Extract, Zinc PCA, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Sodium 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 HyaluronateSqualane 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 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
