What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer
Silica
Abrasive
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Masking
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Disodium EDTA
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialPalmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Cyclohexasiloxane, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Chloride, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Betaine, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Silica, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Adenosine, Panthenol, Pentylene Glycol, Allantoin, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Lactic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Dipropylene Glycol, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Water
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Propanediol
Solvent
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Lactobionic Acid
Buffering
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
Polyacrylamide
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingBeta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Tetrapeptide-44
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Artemisia Capillaris Extract
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Spirulina Platensis Extract
Skin ProtectingMalus Domestica Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sucrose
Humectant
Tromethamine
BufferingWater, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Lactobionic Acid, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Polyacrylamide, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Laureth-7, Beta-Glucan, Sodium Hyaluronate, Saccharide Isomerate, Tetrapeptide-44, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Bisabolol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Artemisia Capillaris Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Spirulina Platensis Extract, Malus Domestica Fruit Extract, Maltodextrin, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Sucrose, Tromethamine
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 GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinPentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolSodium Citrate is the sodium salts of citric acid. In skincare, it is used to alter pH levels and acts as a preservative.
Its main functions are to maintain the pH of a product and neutralize metal ions.
The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome; normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5).
Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.
Learn more about Sodium CitrateSodium 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
