What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycolic Acid
Buffering
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingCoccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Eclipta Prostrata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Polyacrylate
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Amylopectin
CI 75120
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycolic Acid, Tranexamic Acid, Glycerin, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Lactic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Pentylene Glycol, Panthenol, Propanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sclerotium Gum, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Amylopectin, CI 75120
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Dehydroxanthan Gum
Emulsion StabilisingZingiber Officinale Root Powder
Skin ConditioningVaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
MaskingCitrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Acer Saccharum Extract
Skin ConditioningAnanas Sativus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCarica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningEpilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract
Antioxidant
Lactobacillus/Pumpkin Fruit Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingGellan Gum
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, Dehydroxanthan Gum, Zingiber Officinale Root Powder, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Acer Saccharum Extract, Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract, Lactobacillus/Pumpkin Fruit Ferment Filtrate, Xanthan Gum, Sclerotium Gum, Gellan Gum, 1,2-Hexanediol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol
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
Caprylhydroxamic Acid is a chelating agent that helps cosmetics stay fresh, stable, and consistent over time.
Chelating agents help prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This helps prevent unwanted reactions and effects from using the product. It also helps prevent the growth of unwanted microbes in products that contain water.
Caprylhydroxamic Acid is often used with natural antimicrobial products as an alternative to preservatives.
Learn more about Caprylhydroxamic AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinPentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolSclerotium Gum is a natural sugar-based fiber made by fermenting a fungus called Sclerotium rolfsii. It's often used as the plant-friendly alternative for synthetic thickeners like carbomer.
In skincare, it works as a thickener, gel former, and stabilizer that keeps heavy ingredients suspended so a product does not separate.
It is non-ionic and forms a triple helix in solution. This is just a fancy way of saying it builds a smooth, cushiony, and non-sticky gel that feels silkier than many other gums.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it is very sturdy and holds up across a wide pH range (~2-11). It's also good at resisting heat and hydrolysis.
Since it holds water at the skin surface, it can provide some light hydration as well.
Typical use levels are around 0.25-2%; formulators usually use 0.2-0.5% to thicken lotions and up to 2% for a firmer gel base.
This ingredient has been found safe in cosmetics with no meaningful evidence of skin sensitization.
Learn more about Sclerotium GumSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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
