What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Snail Secretion Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Soy Protein
Humectant
Glycosaminoglycans
EmollientDimethyl Isosorbide
SolventMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningPEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingHexapeptide-10
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum
AbsorbentCaesalpinia Spinosa Gum
Skin ConditioningTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Glucose
Humectant
Fructose
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Yeast Amino Acids
HumectantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTrehalose
Humectant
Inositol
Humectant
Taurine
BufferingBetaine
Humectant
Dehydroxanthan Gum
Emulsion StabilisingAminoethylphosphinic Acid
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingDecarboxy Carnosine Hcl
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Sucrose
Humectant
Dextrin
AbsorbentHexyl Nicotinate
EmollientGlutamic Acid
Humectant
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Alanine
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
Musk Ketone
Masking
Cananga Odorata Flower Extract
Perfuming
Snail Secretion Filtrate, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Glycosaminoglycans, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Maltodextrin, Saccharide Isomerate, Water, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Hexylene Glycol, Hexapeptide-10, Caprylyl Glycol, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Hydrolyzed Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Phenoxyethanol, Glucose, Fructose, Urea, Yeast Amino Acids, Ethylhexylglycerin, Trehalose, Inositol, Taurine, Betaine, Dehydroxanthan Gum, Aminoethylphosphinic Acid, Parfum, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Decarboxy Carnosine Hcl, Butylene Glycol, Sucrose, Dextrin, Hexyl Nicotinate, Glutamic Acid, Aspartic Acid, Alanine, Potassium Sorbate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Geraniol, Hydroxycitronellal, Coumarin, Musk Ketone, Cananga Odorata Flower Extract
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolSnail Secretion Filtrate is the excretion from snails. It is an effective moisturizer and promotes collagen production.
A popular nickname for this ingredient is 'Snail Mucin'.
Snail mucin has numerous skin benefits:
On top of this, Snail Secretion Filtrate contains a variety of vitamins and minerals. These include copper peptides, Vitamin A, and Vitamin E. Vitamins A and E are antioxidants. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals that damage skin cells.
Being cruelty-free means a brand does not experiment on animals.
If you're worried about the well-being of the snails, we recommend looking more into the company of the product. Many brands have developed humane methods to collect snail mucin.
There is much debate on this subject. On one hand, this ingredient comes from an animal. On the other hand, many will argue the ingredient is naturally secreted (like a natural by-product) and therefore vegan. If you have reservations, you can look into Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate or Centella Asiatica Extract as alternatives.
Learn more about Snail Secretion FiltrateWater. 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
