What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Laminaria Saccharina Extract
Skin ProtectingPorphyridium Cruentum Extract
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Rice Extract
Skin Conditioning
Punica Granatum Extract
AstringentZinc PCA
Humectant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Narcissus Tazetta Bulb Extract
Astringent
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Sucrose
Humectant
Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine
HumectantCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPolyglyceryl-6 Caprylate
EmulsifyingPolyglyceryl-4 Caprate
EmulsifyingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Propanediol, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Laminaria Saccharina Extract, Porphyridium Cruentum Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment, Hydrolyzed Rice Extract, Punica Granatum Extract, Zinc PCA, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caffeine, Narcissus Tazetta Bulb Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Sucrose, Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Polyglyceryl-6 Caprylate, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningSerine
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Glycine
Buffering
PCA
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Acetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Glucose
Humectant
Histidine
Humectant
Lysine Hcl
Skin Conditioning
Glutamine
Skin ConditioningLeucine
Skin ConditioningTyrosine
MaskingArginine
Masking
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Phenylalanine
Masking
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPotassium PCA
Humectant
Calcium PCA
Humectant
Magnesium PCA
Humectant
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Nitrate
SoothingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Gluconate
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Serine, Glycerin, Lactic Acid, Glycine, PCA, Urea, Acetyl Glucosamine, Glucose, Histidine, Lysine Hcl, Glutamine, Leucine, Tyrosine, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Phenylalanine, Sodium Chloride, Potassium PCA, Calcium PCA, Magnesium PCA, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Maltodextrin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Nitrate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Gluconate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Potassium Sorbate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl 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 or alcohol, 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 GlycerinSodium 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
