What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantAcetyl Glutamine
Skin ConditioningBetula Platyphylla Japonica Juice
Skin Conditioning
Bifida Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
Endomyces Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Yeast Protein
Skin ConditioningHydroxyproline
Skin ConditioningRhodomyrtus Tomentosa Fruit Extract
HumectantSerine
Masking
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium Succinate
MaskingEctoin
Skin Conditioning
Glycine Soja Sterols
Emollient
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSuccinic Acid
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Dipropylene Glycol, Acetyl Glutamine, Betula Platyphylla Japonica Juice, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Ceramide Ng, Endomyces Ferment Filtrate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Yeast Protein, Hydroxyproline, Rhodomyrtus Tomentosa Fruit Extract, Serine, Sodium PCA, Tocopherol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Disodium Succinate, Ectoin, Glycine Soja Sterols, Phytosterols, Sodium Hydroxide, Succinic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPolysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Soluble Collagen
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Elastin
EmollientPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantSodium PCA
Humectant
Serine
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Alanine
Masking
Arginine
Masking
Lysine
Skin ConditioningThreonine
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitol
Humectant
Betaine
Humectant
Algin
Masking
Alcaligenes Polysaccharides
EmollientCI 77346
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77289
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantTocopherol
Antioxidant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Carbomer, Polysorbate 80, Phenoxyethanol, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Soluble Collagen, Hydrolyzed Elastin, Potassium Hydroxide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Ubiquinone, CI 77891, Sodium PCA, Serine, Glycine, Glutamic Acid, Alanine, Arginine, Lysine, Threonine, Proline, Sorbitol, Betaine, Algin, Alcaligenes Polysaccharides, CI 77346, CI 77289, CI 77491, Tocopherol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycolCarbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydrogenated Lecithin is a more stable version of lecithin.
It's made by taking lecithin (a phospholipid commonly found in soybeans and egg yolks) and hydrogenating it. This just means the unsaturated fatty acids are turned into saturated ones so they don't go bad as easily.
This ingredient is an emollient, emulsifier, and penetration enhancer. As an emollient, it helps soften and hydrate skin by trapping moisture within. As an emulsifier, it prevents oil and water ingredients from separating.
Hydrogenated Lecithin can form tiny spherical structures made of phospholipid bilayers called liposomes. These liposomes are able to capture compounds inside their structure and deliver them through the skin barrier.
Because phospholipids are a natural component of our cell membranes, this ingredient is inherently compatible with skin.
A 2021 study found lecithin-based surfactants were less harsh and more tolerable comared to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).
Learn more about Hydrogenated LecithinHydrolyzed 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 AcidPhenoxyethanol 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.
Serine is a non-essential amino acid (your body makes it on its own!). It is a major player in your skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.
Serine is one of your NMF's most abundant components that works as a skin-identical humectant. Its hydroxyl group grabs onto water molecules to boost hydration without any heaviness or occlusion.
Research on a hydrogel with serine confirmed this serine got delivered to your stratum corneum and demonstrated enhanced skin moisturization.
Interestingly serine also helps your skin produce filaggrin, a protein that keeps your skin barrier strong and used to create collagen.
Learn more about SerineSodium PCA is the sodium salt of pyroglutamic acid. It is naturally occurring in our skin's natural moisturizing factors where it works to maintain hydration.
The PCA stands for pyrrolidone carboxylic acid, a natural amino acid derivative.
This ingredient has skin conditioning, anti-inflammatory, and humectant properties. Humectants help hydrate your skin by drawing moisture from the air. This helps keep your skin moisturized.
Learn more about Sodium PCATocopherol 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
