What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Gold
Cosmetic ColorantTocopherol
Antioxidant
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Lecithin
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Triethanolamine
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Coconut Alkanes
Emollient
3-Glyceryl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingHippophae Rhamnoides Seed Oil
Skin Protecting
Diglycerin
Humectant
Citrus Sinensis Peel Oil Expressed
Perfuming
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCorallina Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSolanum Melongena Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningMangifera Indica Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCarica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAnanas Sativus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningMoringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract
EmollientOcimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningOcimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract
TonicCurcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate
Emulsifying
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Eclipta Prostrata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Tromethamine
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Citrus Aurantium Peel Oil
Limonene
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Water, Propanediol, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Coconut Alkanes, 3-Glyceryl Ascorbate, Niacinamide, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Hippophae Rhamnoides Seed Oil, Diglycerin, Citrus Sinensis Peel Oil Expressed, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Mangifera Indica Fruit Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Tromethamine, Tocopherol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Lactic Acid, Citrus Aurantium Peel Oil, Limonene, Citral, Geraniol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.Â
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolSodium 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 HyaluronateTocopherol 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
