What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Zinc PCA
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Diazolidinyl Urea
Preservative
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Preservative
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Water, Propanediol, Panthenol, Betaine, Sodium Lactate, Zinc PCA, Sodium Hyaluronate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Allantoin, Butylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Disodium EDTA, Gluconolactone, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Diazolidinyl Urea, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Hydroxyacetophenone
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Xylitol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Bifida Ferment Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Ectoin
Skin Conditioning
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Dextran
Bacillus/Folic Acid Ferment Filtrate Extract
Antioxidant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Polylysine
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
PCA
Humectant
Serine
Masking
Acacia Senegal Gum
MaskingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAlanine
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Lysine Hcl
Skin Conditioning
Threonine
Arginine
Masking
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Gluconobacter/Honey Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningAcetobacter/Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Ferment Extract
EmollientPhytic Acid
Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingMilk Protein
Skin ConditioningLactic Acid
Buffering
Lactose
HumectantZingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Boswellia Serrata Resin Extract
SmoothingBiosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Propanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Xylitol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Lactobacillus Ferment, Bifida Ferment Filtrate, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Ectoin, Maltodextrin, Dextran, Bacillus/Folic Acid Ferment Filtrate Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Polylysine, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8, Betaine, PCA, Serine, Acacia Senegal Gum, Xanthan Gum, Alanine, Glycine, Glutamic Acid, Lysine Hcl, Threonine, Arginine, Proline, Gluconobacter/Honey Ferment Filtrate, Acetobacter/Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Ferment Extract, Phytic Acid, Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Milk Protein, Lactic Acid, Lactose, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Boswellia Serrata Resin Extract, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Hydroxide, Caprylyl Glycol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Betaine is a humectant. Like hyaluronic acid, it helps attract and retain moisture in the skin. It’s known for being gentle and for helping the skin maintain balanced hydration.
Betaine is mainly used to improve hydration and support calmer skin. It helps skin cells regulate water balance because it functions as an osmolyte.
Some studies suggest betaine may support making skin tone more even.
Fun fact: Betaine naturally exists in the skin and the body. In cosmetic products, it can be either plant-derived (most commonly from sugar beets) or synthetically produced for consistency and stability.
Betaine is also known as trimethylglycine.
Learn more about BetaineButylene 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 GlycolDipotassium Glycyrrhizate comes from licorice root.
Extracts of licorice have demonstrated to have antibacterial, anti‐inflammatory, antiviral, antioxidant properties.
One component, glabridin, has extra potent antioxidant and soothing properties. It has also been found to block pigmentation from UVB rays in guinea pigs.
Licorice Root also contains a flavonoid. Flavonoids are a natural substance from in plants. Flavonoids also have antioxidant properties.
Another component, glycyrrhizin, has been found to have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial benefits. This may make licorice root extract effective at treating acne. However, more research is needed to support this.
Liquiritin is one of the flavone compounds found in licorice. It has been found to help lighten skin by preventing tyrosinase from reacting with tyrosine. When the two react, protein is converted to melanin. Melanin is the substance in your body that gives your features pigmentation.
Licorice root is native to Southern Europe and Asia. It has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to help with respiratory issues.
Learn more about Dipotassium GlycyrrhizateHydroxyacetophenone is a small phenolic molecule that earns its place in a formulas as an antioxidant and preservative booster.
As a phenol, it is able to neutralize free radicals to protect both the product and the skin from oxidative stress.
Though it can't kill microbes on its own, it works as a good supporting agent when combined with other preservatives like Phenoxyethanol or 1,2-Hexanediol.
This ingredient naturally occurs as piceol in Norwegian spruce needles (~0.4-1.1% dry weight and in cloudberries). Though the cosmetic-grade material is synthesized for purity and consistency.
You'll usually see it used at low levels and suppliers recommend up to 1% added to a water phase.
Safety testing was done at concentrations like 0.05% in SPF products and 0.5% in a Human Repeated Insult Patch Test. The safety evidence is assuring; this ingredient is safe for cosmetics in current use and also holds safety status as a food flavoring as well.
An honest caveat: the "soothing" and "anti-inflammatory" claims come mostly from supplier marketing rather than published clinical trials. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review's own literature search found no useful efficacy studies on this ingredient.
So the antioxidant and preservative-boosting roles are the well supported ones while the calming benefit is plausible but thinly evidenced.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated, low-irritation multitasker that quietly helps a formula stay fresh and stable.
Learn more about HydroxyacetophenonePropanediol 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 Lactate is the sodium salt of lactic acid, an AHA. It is a humectant and sometimes used to adjust the pH of a product.
This ingredient is part of our skin's NMF, or natural moisturizing factor. Our NMF is essential for the hydration of our top skin layers and plasticity of skin. NMF also influences our skin's natural acid mantle and pH, which protects our skin from harmful bacteria.
High percentages of Sodium Lactate can have an exfoliating effect.
Fun fact: Sodium Lactate is produced from fermented sugar.
Learn more about Sodium LactateWater. 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
