What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningBifida Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
PEG-75
HumectantPropanediol
Solvent
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Betaine
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Acetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Trehalose
Humectant
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPPG-5-Ceteth-20
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Citrate
BufferingTromethamine
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Bifida Ferment Lysate, PEG-75, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Betaine, Pentylene Glycol, Lactobacillus Ferment, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Acetyl Glucosamine, Trehalose, Caffeine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, PPG-5-Ceteth-20, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Citrate, Tromethamine, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Acetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Faex Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Adenosine Phosphate
Skin ConditioningHordeum Vulgare Extract
EmollientPantethine
EmollientTriticum Vulgare Germ Extract
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningGold
Cosmetic ColorantCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSilica
Abrasive
Tromethamine
BufferingPolymethylsilsesquioxane
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingParfum
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caramel
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantMica
Cosmetic ColorantCI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Polysorbate 20, Acetyl Glucosamine, Faex Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Adenosine Phosphate, Hordeum Vulgare Extract, Pantethine, Triticum Vulgare Germ Extract, Cholesterol, Squalane, Linoleic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Gold, Caprylyl Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Silica, Tromethamine, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Hexylene Glycol, Parfum, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Caramel, CI 77891, Mica, CI 17200
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Acetyl Glucosamine is an antioxidant and humectant. It is an amino acid sugar and is naturally found in our skin.
The cool thing about this ingredient? It helps the skin produce hyaluronic acid and boost hydration. It also has antioxidant benefits to protect skin cells.
When paired with niacinamide, Acetyl Glucosamine has been shown to be effective at reducing discoloration.
Learn more about Acetyl GlucosamineCaprylyl 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 GlycolDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAPhenoxyethanol 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 PhenoxyethanolSodium 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 HyaluronateTromethamine (aka THAM) is a synthetic amino acid that shows up in skincare as a helper ingredient.
It functions as a pH adjuster to help neutralize acidic ingredients and set a formula's pH to the right spot.
This matters a lot because a lot of actives (like vitamin C) needs a specific pH to work well and feel comfortable on skin.
Concentration use ranges from 0.1-1.0% depending on the formula.
Learn more about TromethamineWater. 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
