What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Arginine
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Bambusa Vulgaris Water
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Hydrolyzed Gardenia Florida Extract
Antioxidant
Spirulina Platensis Extract
Skin ProtectingAzulene
Skin Conditioning
Candida Bombicola/Glucose/Methyl Rapeseedate Ferment
AntimicrobialSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Agave Tequilana Leaf Extract
AstringentCaulerpa Lentillifera Extract
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Arginine, Carbomer, Allantoin, Bambusa Vulgaris Water, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Xanthan Gum, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA, Maltodextrin, Hydrolyzed Gardenia Florida Extract, Spirulina Platensis Extract, Azulene, Candida Bombicola/Glucose/Methyl Rapeseedate Ferment, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Agave Tequilana Leaf Extract, Caulerpa Lentillifera Extract, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningMethylpropanediol
SolventDipropylene Glycol
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Laminaria Japonica Extract
Skin Protecting
Disodium EDTA
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Eclipta Prostrata Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMethyl Diisopropyl Propionamide
MaskingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingOctyldodeceth-16
EmulsifyingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTromethamine
BufferingMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Fructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Monarda Didyma Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
Antioxidant
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Viola Mandshurica Flower Extract
Antioxidant
Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Cetraria Islandica Extract
CleansingWater, Methylpropanediol, Dipropylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Panthenol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Adenosine, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Disodium EDTA, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Eclipta Prostrata Leaf Extract, Methyl Diisopropyl Propionamide, Carbomer, Octyldodeceth-16, Xanthan Gum, Tromethamine, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract, Fructooligosaccharides, Monarda Didyma Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Beta-Glucan, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Viola Mandshurica Flower Extract, Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Cetraria Islandica Extract
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Adenosine is a purine nucleoside that your body already makes in every cell. In skincare, it acts mainly as a skin conditioning and anti-aging agent.
The way it works is fairly well mapped out:
Your skin has cells called fibroblasts that build collagen (the stuff that keeps skin firm and smooth). Adenosine basically flips a switch on these cells that tells them to get to work making more collagen and other proteins. These cells slow down on their own as skin ages, so Adenosine helps give them a little nudge to keep going.
The clinical backing is pretty solid too.
A blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 126 women aged 45-65 tested a 0.1% cream twice daily and found real improvements in crow's feet and frown lines using a precise 3D skin-mapping technique; these changes showed up by week 3 and held at 2 months.
A later study using Adenosine-loaded dissolving microneedle patches reported gains in wrinkle depth, dermal density, elasticity, and hydration.
On concentrations, South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has set 0.04% as the approved functional anti-wrinkle level. You'll typically see this ingredient used somewhere in the 0.04-0.1% range since it works at low doses.
This ingredient has been found safe for cosmetics with the data showing no irritation or sensitization.
Overall, this is a great ingredient for any anti-aging routine and has no photosensitizing effect, so it suits both AM and PM use.
Learn more about AdenosineButylene 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 GlycolCarbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.
Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.
It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.
Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.
A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.
Learn more about CarbomerDisodium 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 GlycerinWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
