What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSnail Secretion Filtrate
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingDipentaerythrityl Hexa C5-9 Acid Esters
Skin ConditioningC14-22 Alcohols
Emulsion StabilisingMaltodextrin
AbsorbentButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningMethyl Gluceth-20
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientDipropylene Glycol
HumectantVinyldimethicone
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingBeeswax
Emulsion StabilisingPanthenol
Skin ConditioningPalmitic Acid
EmollientEthylhexyl Olivate
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
CleansingButylene Glycol
HumectantCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingSodium Acrylates Copolymer
Arginine
MaskingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDioscorea Japonica Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-10 Oleate
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPolyglyceryl-4 Oleate
EmulsifyingParfum
MaskingGlyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantAdenosine
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Corn Starch
HumectantPhytic Acid
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningVitex Agnus Castus Extract
AstringentBeta-Glucan
Skin ConditioningPhenethyl Alcohol
MaskingCaramel
Cosmetic ColorantSucrose
HumectantGlucose
HumectantPantolactone
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantHydrolyzed Royal Jelly Protein
Skin ConditioningZymomonas Ferment Extract
HumectantHyaluronic Acid
HumectantHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantHydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningHydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Potassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
HumectantHoney Extract
HumectantSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
HumectantWater, Snail Secretion Filtrate, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dipentaerythrityl Hexa C5-9 Acid Esters, C14-22 Alcohols, Maltodextrin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Methyl Gluceth-20, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dipropylene Glycol, Vinyldimethicone, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Beeswax, Panthenol, Palmitic Acid, Ethylhexyl Olivate, Stearic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Arginine, Carbomer, Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Xanthan Gum, Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate, Parfum, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Adenosine, Hydrolyzed Corn Starch, Phytic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Vitex Agnus Castus Extract, Beta-Glucan, Phenethyl Alcohol, Caramel, Sucrose, Glucose, Pantolactone, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Royal Jelly Protein, Zymomonas Ferment Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Potassium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Honey Extract, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantPropanediol
SolventNiacinamide
SmoothingDimethicone
EmollientPhenyl Trimethicone
Skin ConditioningCaffeine
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningSqualane
EmollientPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingPolysilicone-11
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPCA Dimethicone
Skin ConditioningPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingBoron Nitride
AbsorbentSodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantDimethiconol
EmollientSynthetic Fluorphlogopite
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientSodium Metaphosphate
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAdenosine
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialArginine
MaskingCyclodextrin
AbsorbentHydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingMaltodextrin
AbsorbentCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantTin Oxide
AbrasiveHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
HumectantHyaluronic Acid
HumectantTocopherol
AntioxidantSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
HumectantWater, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Propanediol, Niacinamide, Dimethicone, Phenyl Trimethicone, Caffeine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Squalane, Polysorbate 20, Polysilicone-11, Carbomer, PCA Dimethicone, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Tromethamine, Boron Nitride, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, CI 77891, Dimethiconol, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Glyceryl Caprylate, Sodium Metaphosphate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Arginine, Cyclodextrin, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Maltodextrin, Citric Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tin Oxide, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hyaluronic Acid, Tocopherol, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
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.Â
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 preservativesÂ
Adenosine is in every living organism. It is one of four components in nucleic acids that helps store our DNA.
Adenosine has many benefits when used. These benefits include hydrating the skin, smoothing skin, and reducing wrinkles. Once applied, adenosine increases collagen production. It also helps with improving firmness and tissue repair.
Studies have found adenosine may also help with wound healing.
In skincare products, Adenosine is usually derived from yeast.
Learn more about AdenosineArginine is a semi-essential amino acid. This just means our bodies can product a bit on its own, but sometimes needs a little boost from food sources.
It is a part of your skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.
Here's an interesting thing about Arginine: your skin converts it into urea through the Krebs-Henseleit urea cycle. Urea is one of the most effective humectants your skin naturally produces.
A clinical study showed applying 2.5% arginine hydrochloride to atopic dermatitis skin showed significant urea levels in the stratum corneum and improved moisture in just four weeks.
Arginine is also a precursor to nitric oxide; nitric oxide improves microcirculation and supports wound healing and collagen synthesis.
One study found that an amino acid complex containing Arginine reduced skin irritation, improved hydration, and accelerated skin repair in clinical / in-vivo studies.
Arginine itself is an amino acid and not a fatty acid, oil, or ester. On its own, it's not a direct food source for Malassezia, or the yeast that causes fungal acne.
Learn more about ArginineButylene 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 high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinHyaluronic acid (HA) is a glycosaminoglycan (basically a long sugar chain) that your skin already makes on its own. In your skin, HA lives in the extracellular matrix and acts as the body's moisture reservoir.
Topically, HA is a humectant that binds water and helps skin look more plump, smooth, and hydrated.
The only catch is that HA isn't a single thing; it actually comes in a wide range of molecular weights (~50 - 2,000+ kDA) and size matters.
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
This is why the best HA serums blend the two sizes together so you get the best of both worlds.
The majority of cosmetic HA is produced by bacterial fermentation, typically using Streptococcus or Bacillus strains. Typical use levels in skincare sit around 0.1-2%.
A clinical study using a 0.2% low-molecular weight HA gel showed improvement in facial seborrheic dermatitis with excellent tolerance.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Learn more about Hyaluronic AcidHydrolyzed 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 AcidMaltodextrin 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 MaltodextrinSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate is a type of Hyaluronic Acid.
Hyaluronic Acids help moisturize, soothe, and protect the skin.
Read about common types of Hyaluronic Acid here:
Learn more about Sodium Acetylated HyaluronateSodium 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