What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Trehalose
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDextrin
AbsorbentGardenia Florida Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningGuaiazulene
Antimicrobial
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Protease
Exfoliating
Phosphatidylcholine
EmulsifyingDiospyros Kaki Leaf Extract
Skin Protecting
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPotassium Hyaluronate
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 ConditioningDimethylsilanol Hyaluronate
HumectantSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Calcium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Sulfated Hyaluronate
Emollient
Sodium Stearoyl Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningSodium Oleoyl Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningSh-Oligopeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Sh-Polypeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Allantoin, Trehalose, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Xanthan Gum, Dextrin, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Guaiazulene, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Protease, Phosphatidylcholine, Diospyros Kaki Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract, Potassium Hyaluronate, Carthamus Tinctorius Flower Extract, Coffea Arabica Seed Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Castanea Crenata Shell Extract, Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract, Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Calcium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Sulfated Hyaluronate, Sodium Stearoyl Hyaluronate, Sodium Oleoyl Hyaluronate, Sh-Oligopeptide-1, Sh-Polypeptide-1
Allium Cepa Bulb Extract
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Water
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Houttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Heparin
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Trehalose
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCoccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAllium Cepa Bulb Extract, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Water, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Sodium Heparin, Panthenol, Allantoin, Trehalose, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Beta-Glucan, Tranexamic Acid, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Gluconolactone, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Adenosine, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Citric Acid, 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.
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
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinButylene 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 GlycolEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinHydrolyzed 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 AcidHydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.
This ingredient helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.
This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.
Learn more about HydroxyethylcelluloseSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate is a type of Hyaluronic Acid.
Hyaluronic Acids help moisturize, soothe, and protect the skin.
Read about common types of Hyaluronic Acid here:
Learn more about Sodium Acetylated HyaluronateSodium 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 HyaluronateTrehalose is a disaccharide made of two glucose molecules (glucose is sugar!). Trehalose is used to help moisturize skin. It also has antioxidant properties.
As a humectant, trehalose helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This helps keep your skin hydrated.
Due to its antioxidant properties, trehalose may help with signs of aging. Antioxidants help fight free-radical molecules, unstable molecules that may damage your skin.
In medicine, trehalose and hyaluronic acid are used to help treat dry eyes.
Some animals, plants, and bacteria create trehalose as a source of energy to survive freeze or lack of water.
Learn more about TrehaloseWater. 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
