What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientCetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
EmulsifyingSclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil
HumectantBacillus/Folic Acid Ferment Filtrate Extract
AntioxidantNymphaea Alba Root Extract
Skin ConditioningSh-Oligopeptide-1
Skin ConditioningSh-Oligopeptide-2
Skin ConditioningSh-Polypeptide-1
Skin ConditioningSh-Polypeptide-9
Skin ConditioningSh-Polypeptide-11
Copper Palmitoyl Heptapeptide-14
Skin ConditioningHeptapeptide-15 Palmitate
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin ConditioningAlanine
MaskingArginine
MaskingGlycine
BufferingHistidine
HumectantIsoleucine
Skin ConditioningPhenylalanine
MaskingProline
Skin ConditioningSerine
MaskingThreonine
Valine
MaskingAcetyl Glutamine
Skin ConditioningCoconut Alkanes
EmollientCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
EmollientSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantAspartic Acid
MaskingLinoleic Acid
CleansingLinolenic Acid
CleansingLecithin
EmollientButylene Glycol
HumectantPolyvinyl Alcohol
Sodium Lactate
BufferingSodium PCA
HumectantPCA
HumectantSorbitan Isostearate
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingPolysorbate 60
EmulsifyingLactic Acid/Glycolic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingIsomalt
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeTocopherol
AntioxidantSodium Benzoate
MaskingPhenylpropanol
MaskingGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientSymphytum Officinale Callus Culture Extract
Skin ConditioningWater, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Bacillus/Folic Acid Ferment Filtrate Extract, Nymphaea Alba Root Extract, Sh-Oligopeptide-1, Sh-Oligopeptide-2, Sh-Polypeptide-1, Sh-Polypeptide-9, Sh-Polypeptide-11, Copper Palmitoyl Heptapeptide-14, Heptapeptide-15 Palmitate, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Alanine, Arginine, Glycine, Histidine, Isoleucine, Phenylalanine, Proline, Serine, Threonine, Valine, Acetyl Glutamine, Coconut Alkanes, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Aspartic Acid, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Lecithin, Butylene Glycol, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Sodium Lactate, Sodium PCA, PCA, Sorbitan Isostearate, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Polysorbate 60, Lactic Acid/Glycolic Acid Copolymer, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Isomalt, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopherol, Sodium Benzoate, Phenylpropanol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Symphytum Officinale Callus Culture Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantPropylene Glycol
Humectant3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
SmoothingBetaine
HumectantSerine
MaskingTaurine
BufferingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantGlycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract
Skin ConditioningGentiana Scabra Root Extract
Skin ConditioningChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
MaskingCentella Asiatica Root Extract
Skin ConditioningRosmarinus Officinalis Extract
AntimicrobialCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
BufferingDisodium EDTA
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningParfum
MaskingWater, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Niacinamide, Betaine, Serine, Taurine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract, Gentiana Scabra Root Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Centella Asiatica Root Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract, Carbomer, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Triethanolamine, Disodium EDTA, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer 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 CarbomerGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Serine is a non-essential amino acid (your body makes it on its own!). It is a major player in 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.
Serine is one of your NMF's most abundant components that works as a skin-identical humectant. Its hydroxyl group grabs onto water molecules to boost hydration without any heaviness or occlusion.
Research on a hydrogel with serine confirmed this serine got delivered to your stratum corneum and demonstrated enhanced skin moisturization.
Interestingly serine also helps your skin produce filaggrin, a protein that keeps your skin barrier strong and used to create collagen.
Learn more about SerineSodium 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 HyaluronateWater. 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