What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
EmollientDimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingGlycerin
HumectantPolyacrylamide
C13-14 Isoparaffin
EmollientLaureth-7
EmulsifyingSilanetriol
Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantDivinyldimethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer
C12-13 Pareth-23
CleansingC12-13 Pareth-3
EmulsifyingDimethylsilanol Hyaluronate
HumectantSaccharide Isomerate
HumectantOryza Sativa Bran Water
MaskingSaccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment
Skin ConditioningAvena Sativa Meal Extract
SoothingPyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus
Skin ConditioningMaltodextrin
AbsorbentSodium Hydroxide
BufferingMethylsilanol Mannuronate
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeMethylisothiazolinone
PreservativeAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
CI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Glycerin, Polyacrylamide, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Laureth-7, Silanetriol, Hyaluronic Acid, Divinyldimethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer, C12-13 Pareth-23, C12-13 Pareth-3, Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate, Saccharide Isomerate, Oryza Sativa Bran Water, Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment, Avena Sativa Meal Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Lactobacillus, Maltodextrin, Sodium Hydroxide, Methylsilanol Mannuronate, Phenoxyethanol, Methylisothiazolinone, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Disodium EDTA, CI 42090
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantDecyl Glucoside
CleansingDisodium Cocoyl Glutamate
CleansingTriethanolamine
BufferingPanthenol
Skin ConditioningLaminaria Digitata Extract
Skin ProtectingCetyl-Pg Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningCeramide Ns
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCeramide As
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantOryza Sativa Bran Water
MaskingLactobacillus
Skin ConditioningMaltodextrin
AbsorbentCocos Nucifera Oil
MaskingSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
BufferingTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Benzyl Alcohol
PerfumingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantWater, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Decyl Glucoside, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Triethanolamine, Panthenol, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Cetyl-Pg Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide NP, Ceramide As, Ceramide AP, Sodium Hyaluronate, Oryza Sativa Bran Water, Lactobacillus, Maltodextrin, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Citric Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Benzyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is a synthetic polymer. It is used to thicken, emulsify, and improve the texture of products.
As an emulsifier, it helps stabilize oil-in-water emulsions to give products an elegant feel when applied.
It can also form a thin protective film on skin. One study found that a formula using this polymer helped slow down how quickly other ingredients (like DEET) were absorbed through skin.
A 2024 study of over 1,300 patients confirmed that sensitization to this ingredient is rare. It is also non-mutagenic and has a clean track record.
Learn more about Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate CrosspolymerDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinLactobacillus is the INCI name for the live, whole lactic bacteria culture itself and is classified as a skin conditioning agent.
It is the same genus of probiotic that you can find in yogurt or fermented foods and it shows up at low levels naturally on human skin.
This ingredient is more of a microbiome agent rather than an active; it helps rebalance the skin's microbial community.
The bacteria and their metabolites produce lactic acid and other antimicrobial compounds that crowd out the "bad bacteria". Research on Lactobacillus strains shows activity against pathogens and acne-causing bacteria.
One strain, Lactobacillus plantarum, has also been shown to boost collagen synthesis and lower melanin synthesis in lab and clinical observation.
The most eye-catching data comes from acne research, a topical cream with live lactobacilli was well-tolerated and improved skin hydration by 37.3% after 14 days of use and 45.6% after 28 days.
Sources for this ingredient are usually fermented substrates like dairy, soy, or rice.
In general, this is a low-irritation and well-tolerated ingredient that plays nice with most of your routine.
One thing to keep in mind is that live bacteria are hard to keep alive inside of a skincare product. They struggle to survive on the shelf and don't get along with the preservatives that stop products from spoiling.
That's why you'll see ferment and postbiotic forms instead, like Lactobacillus Ferment or Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate.
There isn't a fixed percentage for this ingredient since it is dosed by strain and viable count.
On the fungal acne front: Lactobacillus is a bacterium (not a fungus). The whole culture contains no fatty acids, esters, or oils that Malassezia can feed on so it is considered fungal acne safe.
Learn more about LactobacillusMaltodextrin is a polysaccharide. It is derived from starch such as rice, corn, wheat, or potato starch.
In food, Maltodextrin is used to improve the texture and thicken a product. Due to its structure, it can help create a gel texture. As an emulsion stabilizer, it helps keep the ingredients in a product together.
As a polysaccharide, Maltodextrin has moisturizing properties. Polysaccharides are a type of carbohydrate. The top layer of skin uses polysaccharides to retain water, keeping the skin hydrated.
Maltodextrin is water soluble and has a sweet taste.
Learn more about MaltodextrinOryza Sativa Bran Water comes from the outer layer of a rice kernel. It is a byproduct of milling rice, or the operation to produce a whole grain rice product.
According to INCI, this ingredient is used for masking and perfuming.
Masking ingredients are used to obscure or block properties of other ingredients. They are commonly used to block the scent of a product.
Peruming ingredients help give products a scent and can be natural or synthetically created.
Learn more about Oryza Sativa Bran WaterWater. 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