What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Betaine
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Tuber Melanosporum Extract
HumectantHyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Royal Jelly Extract
Skin Conditioning
Pearl Extract
Antioxidant
Chamomilla Recutita Oil
Masking
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Ammonium Acrylates Copolymer
Glyceryl Polyacrylate
PPG-26-Buteth-26
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPEG-40
HumectantParfum
Masking
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Betaine, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Beta-Glucan, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Tuber Melanosporum Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Royal Jelly Extract, Pearl Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Oil, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Ammonium Acrylates Copolymer, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, PPG-26-Buteth-26, Hydroxyethylcellulose, PEG-40, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningPanax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Betaine
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Panax Ginseng Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract
Skin ConditioningAngelica Gigas Root Extract
Skin ConditioningRheum Palmatum Root Extract
Astringent
Angelica Pubescens Root Extract
Skin ConditioningSchizonepeta Tenuifolia Extract
Skin ConditioningPhellodendron Amurense Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane
EmollientEthoxydiglycol
HumectantAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingPEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans
HumectantHyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Glyceryl Polyacrylate
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Water, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Butylene Glycol, Betaine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Panax Ginseng Seed Oil, Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract, Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract, Angelica Gigas Root Extract, Rheum Palmatum Root Extract, Angelica Pubescens Root Extract, Schizonepeta Tenuifolia Extract, Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethiconol, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Ethoxydiglycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Hyaluronic Acid, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.Â
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservativesÂ
Betaine is a humectant. Like hyaluronic acid, it helps attract and retain moisture in the skin. It’s known for being gentle and for helping the skin maintain balanced hydration.
Betaine is mainly used to improve hydration and support calmer skin. It helps skin cells regulate water balance because it functions as an osmolyte.
Some studies suggest betaine may support making skin tone more even.
Fun fact: Betaine naturally exists in the skin and the body. In cosmetic products, it can be either plant-derived (most commonly from sugar beets) or synthetically produced for consistency and stability.
Betaine is also known as trimethylglycine.
Learn more about BetaineButylene 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 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 GlycerinWe don't have a description for Glyceryl Polyacrylate yet.
Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a glycosaminoglycan (basically a long sugar chain) that your skin already makes on its own. In your skin, HA lives in the extracellular matrix and acts as the body's moisture reservoir.
Topically, HA is a humectant that binds water and helps skin look more plump, smooth, and hydrated.
The only catch is that HA isn't a single thing; it actually comes in a wide range of molecular weights (~50 - 2,000+ kDA) and size matters.
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
This is why the best HA serums blend the two sizes together so you get the best of both worlds.
The majority of cosmetic HA is produced by bacterial fermentation, typically using Streptococcus or Bacillus strains. Typical use levels in skincare sit around 0.1-2%.
A clinical study using a 0.2% low-molecular weight HA gel showed improvement in facial seborrheic dermatitis with excellent tolerance.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Learn more about Hyaluronic AcidHydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.
This ingredient helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.
This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.
Learn more about HydroxyethylcelluloseWater. 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
