What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Kigelia Africana Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningEquisetum Giganteum Extract
Skin ConditioningDioscorea Villosa Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingHydrolyzed Ginseng Saponins
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Sponge
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientPolyisobutene
Silica
Abrasive
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Phytate
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Collagen
Moisturising
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Calcium Silicate
AbsorbentSodium Silicate
BufferingParfum
Masking
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Acetyl Cedrene
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Panthenol, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Kigelia Africana Fruit Extract, Equisetum Giganteum Extract, Dioscorea Villosa Root Extract, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Hydrolyzed Ginseng Saponins, Hydrolyzed Sponge, Glyceryl Caprylate, Polyisobutene, Silica, Sodium Hyaluronate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Polyacrylate, Sorbitan Oleate, Cetyl Alcohol, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Adenosine, Sodium Phytate, Beta-Glucan, Collagen, Caprylyl Glycol, Calcium Silicate, Sodium Silicate, Parfum, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Acetyl Cedrene, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydrangea Macrophylla Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningBakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingCetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Polyisobutene
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Allium Sativum Bulb Extract
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingSorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Rutin
Antioxidant
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Vitis Vinifera Vine Extract
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract
Skin ProtectingGlucose
Humectant
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Propanediol, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Butylene Glycol, Hydrangea Macrophylla Leaf Extract, Bakuchiol, Hyaluronic Acid, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Retinol, Allantoin, Arachidyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Tocopherol, Behenyl Alcohol, Carbomer, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Tromethamine, Cetearyl Glucoside, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyisobutene, Arachidyl Glucoside, Hydroxyacetophenone, Pentylene Glycol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Allium Sativum Bulb Extract, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Sorbitan Stearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Sorbitan Oleate, Rutin, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Vitis Vinifera Vine Extract, Sorbitan Isostearate, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, Glucose, Sclerotium Gum, Xanthan Gum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycolCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolThis ingredient is a mild surfactant made by sticking glucose onto a blend of fatty acids.
It does two jobs because it has a sugar head that loves water and a fatty tail that loves oil:
Typical use levels range from 10-20% in cleansers and 15-30% in shower products.
Once on your skin, your skin's glucoside hydrolases breaks it down into glucose and the parent fatty alcohols.
This ingredient is considered fungal acne safe because its fatty alcohol portion sits outside the Malassezia yeast's metabolization range.
Learn more about Caprylyl/Capryl GlucosideGlycerin (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 GlycolPolyisobutene is a synthetic polymer made from isobutene.
It is a film-forming agent and helps bind ingredients together.
Polyisobutene is not absorbed by the skin.
Learn more about PolyisobutenePropanediol 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 PropanediolThis long ingredient is a copolymer of sodium acrylate and sodium acryloyldimethyl taurate monomers.
It is used to help stabilize other ingredients and create a thicker gel-like texture.
Emulsifiers prevent oils and waters from separating.
Learn more about Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate CopolymerSodium 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 HyaluronateSorbitan Oleate is a PEG-free emulsifier made by esterifying sorbitol with oleic acid.
You'll likely see it paired with Polysorbate 80 to create the right emulsification balance.
Typical use levels in formulas range from 2-10%.
The CIR Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as a cosmetic ingredient.
Since this ingredient is an ester of oleic acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. Oleic acid is a fatty acid that falls into the C11-24 range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Sorbitan OleateWater. 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
