What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin Conditioning3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Glycerin
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Corn Starch
HumectantPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Phragmites Communis Extract
Skin ConditioningPoria Cocos Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Althaea Officinalis Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingWater, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Corn Starch, Panthenol, Phragmites Communis Extract, Poria Cocos Extract, Saccharide Isomerate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Tocopheryl Acetate, Althaea Officinalis Root Extract, Propanediol, Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate
Oryza Sativa Bran Water
Masking
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Zinc Hydrolyzed Hyaluronate
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Sodium Hyaluronate Dimethylsilanol
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
C12-13 Alkyl Glyceryl Hydrolyzed Hyaluronate
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ascorbyl Propyl Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Tocotrienols
Skin Conditioning
Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Propanediol
Solvent
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Trigonella Foenum-Graecum Seed Extract
Perfuming
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingOryza Sativa Bran Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Polyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Bran Water, Hyaluronic Acid, Zinc Hydrolyzed Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Dimethylsilanol, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, C12-13 Alkyl Glyceryl Hydrolyzed Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Ascorbyl Propyl Hyaluronate, Tocotrienols, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Propanediol, Panthenol, Trigonella Foenum-Graecum Seed Extract, Glycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Tocopherol, Polyglutamic Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, 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.
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (tea extract) is one of the most well-researched plant extracts in skincare with an impressive resume.
Black tea, green tea, and oolong tea are all harvested from the Camellia Sinensis plant.
Studies show green tea extract and its catechins (like epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)) help your skin cells product energy more efficiently and reducing the number of free-radicals that can damage your skin from the inside.
In lab-grown skin models, this translated to younger, healthier, and stronger skin.
There's also good sun protection data; researchers saw less DNA damage and redness on human skin when green tea was applied before UVB exposure. And the more they applied, the better the protection.
Needless to say, this ingredient shouldn't replace your sunscreen. But it is a great supportive ingredient that you can already find in many sunscreens and antioxidant serums.
A 2009 study found a 2% green tea lotion was effective for mild-to-moderate acne thanks to its anti-inflammatory and mild antimicrobial activity.
The quality of the extract matters a lot here:
Good extracts contain 50-90% catechins while lower quality ones are mostly there for marketing. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the quality or source of their ingredients.
Human Repeated Insult Patch Testing showed no irritation or sensitization at use concentrations (0.86% in leave-on products and up to 30% as leaf water).
Learn more about Camellia Sinensis Leaf ExtractEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinHyaluronic acid (HA) is a glycosaminoglycan (basically a long sugar chain) that your skin already makes on its own. In your skin, HA lives in the extracellular matrix and acts as the body's moisture reservoir.
Topically, HA is a humectant that binds water and helps skin look more plump, smooth, and hydrated.
The only catch is that HA isn't a single thing; it actually comes in a wide range of molecular weights (~50 - 2,000+ kDA) and size matters.
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
This is why the best HA serums blend the two sizes together so you get the best of both worlds.
The majority of cosmetic HA is produced by bacterial fermentation, typically using Streptococcus or Bacillus strains. Typical use levels in skincare sit around 0.1-2%.
A clinical study using a 0.2% low-molecular weight HA gel showed improvement in facial seborrheic dermatitis with excellent tolerance.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Learn more about Hyaluronic AcidHydrolyzed 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 HydroxyethylcellulosePanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
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 HyaluronateSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer is a crosslinked version of sodium hyaluronate. This just means it's linked into a 3D mesh network that lets it be more stable and sit on skin as a cohesive, gel-like film rather than sinking into skin.
A 2016 human skin study found crosslinked HA increased epidermal water content by 7.6% over the control group and reduced transepidermal water loss by 27.8%.
A follow-up clinical trial found that a topical crosslinked HA serum applied after fillers, microneedling, or chemical peels was well-tolerated and enhanced skin quality at 14 / 28 days.
More recent research suggests that concentrations as low as 0.03% can act as a penetration enhancer for other skincare actives.
Learn more about Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
