What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Acrylates Copolymer
Lauramidopropyl Betaine
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sucrose
Humectant
Lilium Tigrinum Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Arginine
Masking
Tyrosine
MaskingGlutamic Acid
Humectant
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Histidine
Humectant
Glycine
Buffering
Lysine
Skin ConditioningThreonine
Valine
MaskingProline
Skin Conditioning
Leucine
Skin ConditioningAlanine
Masking
Isoleucine
Skin ConditioningSerine
Masking
Phenylalanine
Masking
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Masking
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Laminaria Saccharina Extract
Skin ProtectingSodium PCA
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Methyldihydrojasmonate
MaskingGlucose
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Glucose Oxidase
StabilisingLactoperoxidase
StabilisingDisodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingSodium Chloride
MaskingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Citric Acid
Buffering
Polyquaternium-7
Potassium Phosphate
BufferingLinalool
Perfuming
Disodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
CI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Acrylates Copolymer, Lauramidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Sucrose, Lilium Tigrinum Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Arginine, Tyrosine, Glutamic Acid, Aspartic Acid, Histidine, Glycine, Lysine, Threonine, Valine, Proline, Leucine, Alanine, Isoleucine, Serine, Phenylalanine, Caffeine, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Laminaria Saccharina Extract, Sodium PCA, Caprylyl Glycol, Methyldihydrojasmonate, Glucose, Sodium Lactate, Glucose Oxidase, Lactoperoxidase, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Sodium Chloride, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Hydroxide, Polysorbate 20, Citric Acid, Polyquaternium-7, Potassium Phosphate, Linalool, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, CI 19140, CI 17200
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingGlyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Jasminum Officinale Flower Extract
Masking
Arginine
Masking
Serine
Masking
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citrulline
Skin ConditioningTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Linalool
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Myristic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Stearic Acid, Lauric Acid, Palmitic Acid, Coco-Glucoside, Phenoxyethanol, Jasminum Officinale Flower Extract, Arginine, Serine, Hydroxyacetophenone, Caprylyl Glycol, Citrulline, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Linalool, Citronellol, Benzyl Alcohol, 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.
Arginine 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 ArginineCaprylyl 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 GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinLinalool is a fragrance and helps add scent to products. It's derived from common plants such as cinnamon, mint, citrus, and lavender.
Like Limonene, this ingredient oxidizes when exposed to air. Oxidized linalool can cause allergies and skin sensitivity.
This ingredient has a scent that is floral, spicy tropical, and citrus-like.
Learn more about LinaloolPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolPotassium hydroxide is commonly known as caustic potash. It is used to fix the pH of a product or as a cleaning agent in soap. In cleansers, it is used for the saponification of oils.
Sapnification is the process of creating fatty acid metal salts from triglycerides and a strong base. During this process, Potassium Hydroxide is used up and is not present in the final product.
Using high concentrations of Potassium Hydroxide have shown to irritate the skin.
Learn more about Potassium HydroxideSerine 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 SerineWater. 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
