What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycereth-26
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSucrose Palmitate
EmollientPPG-26-Buteth-26
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Parfum
Masking
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Linoleate
Emollient
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingHydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingAnigozanthos Flavidus Extract
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Sodium Citrate
BufferingCrithmum Maritimum Extract
Skin ConditioningGlucose
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Potassium Chloride
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Calcium Chloride
AstringentMagnesium Sulfate
Glutamine
Skin ConditioningAcetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Sodium Phosphate
BufferingAscorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Sodium Acetate
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Lysine Hcl
Skin Conditioning
Arginine Hcl
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Alanine
Masking
Histidine Hcl
Skin ConditioningValine
MaskingLeucine
Skin ConditioningThreonine
Isoleucine
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Tryptophan
MaskingPhenylalanine
Masking
Tyrosine
MaskingGlycine
Buffering
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Serine
Masking
Cystine
MaskingCyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningGlutathione
Asparagine
MaskingAspartic Acid
Masking
Ornithine Hcl
Skin ConditioningGlutamic Acid
Humectant
Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide
Skin ConditioningBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicProline
Skin Conditioning
Methionine
Skin ConditioningTaurine
BufferingHydroxyproline
Skin ConditioningGlucosamine Hcl
Coenzyme A
Skin ConditioningSodium Glucuronate
HumectantThiamine Diphosphate
Skin ConditioningRetinyl Acetate
Skin Conditioning
Inositol
Humectant
Niacin
SmoothingNiacinamide
Smoothing
Pyridoxine Hcl
Skin ConditioningCalcium Pantothenate
Riboflavin
Cosmetic ColorantSodium Tocopheryl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Thiamine Hcl
MaskingFolic Acid
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycereth-26, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Squalane, Pentylene Glycol, Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sucrose Palmitate, PPG-26-Buteth-26, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Parfum, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Linoleate, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Sodium Chloride, Carbomer, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Anigozanthos Flavidus Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Lactate, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Citrate, Crithmum Maritimum Extract, Glucose, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Citric Acid, Potassium Chloride, Potassium Sorbate, Calcium Chloride, Magnesium Sulfate, Glutamine, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Sodium Phosphate, Ascorbic Acid, Sodium Acetate, Tocopherol, Lysine Hcl, Arginine Hcl, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Alanine, Histidine Hcl, Valine, Leucine, Threonine, Isoleucine, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Tryptophan, Phenylalanine, Tyrosine, Glycine, Polysorbate 80, Serine, Cystine, Cyanocobalamin, Glutathione, Asparagine, Aspartic Acid, Ornithine Hcl, Glutamic Acid, Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide, Biotin, Proline, Methionine, Taurine, Hydroxyproline, Glucosamine Hcl, Coenzyme A, Sodium Glucuronate, Thiamine Diphosphate, Retinyl Acetate, Inositol, Niacin, Niacinamide, Pyridoxine Hcl, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Sodium Tocopheryl Phosphate, Thiamine Hcl, Folic 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.
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 (also known as Argireline) is a synthetic hexapeptide that is often called a "topical Botox alternative".
It works by mimicking how Botox relaxes muscles; it interferes with the signaling process that tells your facial muscles to contract. This can help soften expression lines like forehead wrinkles or crow's feet over time.
The comparison to Botox does have limits because the molecule is water-loving and relatively large.
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 has a hard time absorbing deeply enough through the skin's outer barrier to actually reach the muscles.
So whether it truly works the way Botox does at a biological level is still up for debate, but early clinical outcomes are fairly encouraging.
A 12 week human study of a multi-ingredient regimen containing this ingredient saw:
While some studies have observed improvements in wrinkle appearance, it is important to note that more consistent results are seen in multi-ingredient formulations (vs just Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 alone).
Some research studies also used higher concentrations (up to 10%) while this ingredient is usually found in concentrations up to 0.005% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about Acetyl Hexapeptide-8Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolPotassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.
This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.
Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.
You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.
Learn more about Potassium SorbateChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideWater. 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
