What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Azelaic Acid
Buffering
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingGlycerin
Humectant
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Acetyl Octapeptide-3
Humectant
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Glucose
Humectant
Fructose
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Pollen Extract
EmollientTilia Platyphyllos Extract
Skin ConditioningMel Extract
MoisturisingMalva Sylvestris Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningUbiquinone
Antioxidant
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Sucrose
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Alanine
Masking
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Dextrin
AbsorbentHexyl Nicotinate
EmollientBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Water, Butylene Glycol, Azelaic Acid, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Hexylene Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Glycerin, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Acetyl Octapeptide-3, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Glucose, Fructose, Panthenol, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Pollen Extract, Tilia Platyphyllos Extract, Mel Extract, Malva Sylvestris Leaf Extract, Ubiquinone, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Sucrose, Urea, Alanine, Aspartic Acid, Glutamic Acid, Dextrin, Hexyl Nicotinate, Benzyl Alcohol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzoic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Citric Acid, Sorbic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene 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 GlycolChondrus Crispus Extract comes from a red algae native to the northern Atlantic coasts of Europe and North America. It helps hydrate the skin and is rich in antioxidants.
The antioxidants in chondrus crispus include lutein and zeaxanthin. Lutein has the ability to filter blue light from screens.
Other contents of chondrus crispus include polysaccharides, peptides, and amino acids. These help hydrate the skin.
What's the difference between algae and seaweed?
Algae is a broad term that includes seaweed. Not all algae is seaweed.
Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinPanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolPhenoxyethanol 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.
Water. 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
