What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Syringa Vulgaris Leaf Cell Culture Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningSantalum Austrocaledonicum Wood Oil
Masking
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Hamamelis Virginiana Water
Astringent
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Rosa Damascena Flower Oil
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract
Perfuming
Cananga Odorata Flower Oil
Masking
Chlorophyllin-Copper Complex
Antioxidant
Totarol
Antioxidant
Acetyl Tributyl Citrate
Masking
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Cinnamomum Camphora Bark Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Phenyl T-Butylnitrone
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Carbomer, Maltodextrin, Phenethyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Alcohol Denat., Sodium Hyaluronate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Potassium Sorbate, Syringa Vulgaris Leaf Cell Culture Extract, Sodium Metabisulfite, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Santalum Austrocaledonicum Wood Oil, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Citric Acid, Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Chlorophyllin-Copper Complex, Totarol, Acetyl Tributyl Citrate, Alcohol, Cinnamomum Camphora Bark Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Phenyl T-Butylnitrone
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Hydrolyzed Polygamma-Glutamate
Sodium Polyglutamate
HumectantBacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Disodium Acetyl Glucosamine Phosphate
Skin ConditioningSodium Glucuronate
HumectantMagnesium Sulfate
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Propanediol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Potassium Hydrolyzed Polygamma-Glutamate, Sodium Polyglutamate, Bacillus Ferment, Disodium Acetyl Glucosamine Phosphate, Sodium Glucuronate, Magnesium Sulfate, Carbomer, Hydroxyacetophenone, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.
Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.
It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.
Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.
A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.
Learn more about CarbomerGlycerin (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
