What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Lactobacillus/Soymilk Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Diisopropyl Adipate
EmollientAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Menthyl Lactate
Masking
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCarnosine
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3
Skin Protecting
Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract
AstringentPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Triethyl Citrate
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Dextran
Water, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Butylene Glycol, Lactobacillus/Soymilk Ferment Filtrate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Diisopropyl Adipate, Allantoin, Menthyl Lactate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Carnosine, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3, Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract, Panthenol, Adenosine, Triethyl Citrate, Sodium Hydroxide, Centella Asiatica Extract, Glycerin, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Beta-Glucan, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Dextran
Water
Skin ConditioningIsobutane
Trimethoxycaprylylsilane
SmoothingOleth-100
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Terminalia Chebula Extract
AstringentBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicAsparagus Racemosus Root Powder
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Folic Acid
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Fatty Acid Ester
EmulsifyingDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Pvm/Ma Decadiene Crosspolymer
Myristyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Isobutane, Trimethoxycaprylylsilane, Oleth-100, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Terminalia Chebula Extract, Biotin, Asparagus Racemosus Root Powder, Sodium Hyaluronate, Folic Acid, Sorbitan Fatty Acid Ester, Decyl Glucoside, Pvm/Ma Decadiene Crosspolymer, Myristyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Phenoxyethanol
Alternatives
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 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.
Sodium 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
