What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Lactobionic Acid
Buffering
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Triethanolamine
BufferingMandelic Acid
Antimicrobial
Arginine
Masking
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Methylparaben
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Gluconolactone, Lactobionic Acid, Polysorbate 80, Triethanolamine, Mandelic Acid, Arginine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Citric Acid, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Disodium EDTA, Propylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Methylparaben, Parfum, Limonene, Linalool, Citral
Water
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Amelanchier Alnifolia Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningUrea
Buffering
Calcium Pantothenate
Trehalose
Humectant
Taurine
BufferingCreatine
Skin ConditioningDiglycerin
Humectant
Acetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Daucus Carota Sativa Juice
Skin ConditioningGlycine Soja Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Lysine Hcl
Skin Conditioning
Alanine
Masking
Arginine
Masking
Histidine Hcl
Skin ConditioningBiosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Serine
Masking
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningLysine
Skin ConditioningPCA
Humectant
Sorbitol
Humectant
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Threonine
Valine
MaskingLeucine
Skin ConditioningGlycine
Buffering
Isoleucine
Skin ConditioningPhenylalanine
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Panthenol, Glyceryl Glucoside, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycerin, Sodium PCA, Amelanchier Alnifolia Fruit Extract, Urea, Calcium Pantothenate, Trehalose, Taurine, Creatine, Diglycerin, Acetyl Glucosamine, Daucus Carota Sativa Juice, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Lysine Hcl, Alanine, Arginine, Histidine Hcl, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Phenoxyethanol, Serine, Allantoin, Proline, Lactic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Lysine, PCA, Sorbitol, Glutamic Acid, Threonine, Valine, Leucine, Glycine, Isoleucine, Phenylalanine, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid
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 ArginineCitric 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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolWater. 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
