What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Canola Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Artemisia Capillaris Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningTerminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Beta-Carotene
Skin ConditioningLevulinic Acid
Perfuming
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Propanediol, Canola Oil, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Artemisia Capillaris Flower Extract, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Bakuchiol, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil, Glycine Soja Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Decyl Glucoside, Beta-Carotene, Levulinic Acid, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Hydroxide
Water
Skin ConditioningGluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientNiacinamide
Smoothing
Propanediol
Solvent
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingDimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Biosaccharide Gum-4
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Japonica Flower Extract
EmollientCetearyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Crithmum Maritimum Extract
Skin ConditioningPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingSalicylic Acid
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Parfum
Masking
Water, Gluconolactone, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Niacinamide, Propanediol, Sodium Hydroxide, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Biosaccharide Gum-4, Camellia Japonica Flower Extract, Cetearyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Crithmum Maritimum Extract, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Sclerotium Gum, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, PEG-100 Stearate, Coco-Glucoside, Parfum
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 GlycerinPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolSodium 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 HyaluronateSodium 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 HydroxideTocopherol 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
