What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Triethyl Citrate
Masking
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Citrate
BufferingNiacinamide
Smoothing
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Taurine
BufferingPolyglyceryl-10 Dioleate
Emulsifying
Carnosine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Mannitol
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Arginine
Masking
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Benzotriazolyl Dodecyl P-Cresol
UV AbsorberXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-10 Dipalmitate
Emollient
Silybum Marianum Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientDipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Pseudoalteromonas Ferment Extract
Humectant
Magnesium Sulfate
Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide
Skin ConditioningErgothioneine
Antioxidant
CI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Propanediol, Glycerin, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Triethyl Citrate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Citrate, Niacinamide, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum, Taurine, Polyglyceryl-10 Dioleate, Carnosine, Sodium PCA, Mannitol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Pentylene Glycol, Arginine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Benzotriazolyl Dodecyl P-Cresol, Xanthan Gum, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Adenosine, Polyglyceryl-10 Dipalmitate, Silybum Marianum Extract, Glyceryl Caprylate, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Tocopherol, Benzoic Acid, Glycine, Pseudoalteromonas Ferment Extract, Magnesium Sulfate, Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide, Ergothioneine, CI 17200
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
