What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Bambusa Vulgaris Water
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
Raffinose
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingLactococcus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Fructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Cyperus Rotundus Root Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Tromethamine
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Sodium Dna
Skin Conditioning
Agave Tequilana Leaf Extract
AstringentMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Hydrolyzed Gardenia Florida Extract
Antioxidant
Hizikia Fusiforme Extract
Skin ConditioningSargassum Fulvellum Extract
Skin ConditioningLaminaria Japonica Extract
Skin Protecting
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Caulerpa Lentillifera Extract
Guaiazulene
Antimicrobial
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventOleyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Bambusa Vulgaris Water, 1,2-Hexanediol, Water, Glycerin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Niacinamide, Raffinose, Panthenol, Propanediol, Xanthan Gum, Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, Fructooligosaccharides, Centella Asiatica Extract, Cyperus Rotundus Root Extract, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hyaluronate, Adenosine, Tromethamine, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Dna, Agave Tequilana Leaf Extract, Maltodextrin, Hydrolyzed Gardenia Florida Extract, Hizikia Fusiforme Extract, Sargassum Fulvellum Extract, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Butylene Glycol, Caulerpa Lentillifera Extract, Guaiazulene, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Oleyl Alcohol, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Sea Water
HumectantWater
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantBetaine
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Sorbitol
Humectant
Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide
Emulsion Stabilising
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Polyglutamate
HumectantHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Serine
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Alanine
Masking
Lysine
Skin ConditioningArginine
Masking
Threonine
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSea Water, Water, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Dipropylene Glycol, Betaine, Panthenol, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium PCA, Sorbitol, Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Polyglutamate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Serine, Glycine, Glutamic Acid, Alanine, Lysine, Arginine, Threonine, Proline, Pentylene 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.
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
Disodium 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 EDTAEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinHydrolyzed 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 AcidPanthenol 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 PanthenolSodium 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 CrosspolymerWater. 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
