What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycolic Acid
Buffering
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingArginine
Masking
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Amylopectin
PCA
Humectant
Dextrin
AbsorbentAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycine
Buffering
Alanine
Masking
Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
Antioxidant
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Serine
Masking
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Carrageenan
Valine
MaskingArachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Isoleucine
Skin ConditioningProline
Skin Conditioning
Threonine
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialCyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningHistidine
Humectant
Phenylalanine
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Glycolic Acid, Gluconolactone, Sodium Hydroxide, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Sodium Lactate, Sodium PCA, Xanthan Gum, Arginine, Salicylic Acid, Panthenol, Phenoxyethanol, Aspartic Acid, Amylopectin, PCA, Dextrin, Allantoin, Centella Asiatica Extract, Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Ceramide NP, Chlorphenesin, Arachidyl Alcohol, Glycine, Alanine, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Phytosterols, Serine, Stearic Acid, Behenyl Alcohol, Carrageenan, Valine, Arachidyl Glucoside, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Isoleucine, Proline, Threonine, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Cyanocobalamin, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Cetearyl Alcohol, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Methylpropanediol
SolventAluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Glucosyl Ceramide
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Glycine
Buffering
Fructose
Humectant
Inositol
Humectant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Urea
Buffering
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Carboxymethyl Hyaluronate
HumectantSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Potassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningHydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate
Humectant
Soluble Collagen
Humectant
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Trimethylpentanediol/Adipic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientPolyglyceryl-3 Caprate
EmulsifyingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Water, Niacinamide, Cyclopentasiloxane, 1,2-Hexanediol, Methylpropanediol, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Glucosyl Ceramide, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide NP, Ceramide As, Ceramide AP, Sodium Lactate, Glycine, Fructose, Inositol, Lactic Acid, Urea, Sodium PCA, Sodium Benzoate, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Carboxymethyl Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Potassium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate, Soluble Collagen, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Trimethylpentanediol/Adipic Acid Copolymer, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Polyacrylate, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Polyglyceryl-3 Caprate, Allantoin, Polysorbate 20, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Pentylene Glycol, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinCeramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
Learn more about Ceramide NPGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlycine is the smallest amino acid and a key building block of collagen. It's part if your skin's Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.
A study from 2022 found that an amino acid complex featuring taurine, arginine, and glycine significantly reduced skin irritation, improved redness, and accelerated the skin repair process.
Phenoxyethanol 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 PhenoxyethanolSodium Lactate is the sodium salt of lactic acid, an AHA. It is a humectant and sometimes used to adjust the pH of a product.
This ingredient is part of our skin's NMF, or natural moisturizing factor. Our NMF is essential for the hydration of our top skin layers and plasticity of skin. NMF also influences our skin's natural acid mantle and pH, which protects our skin from harmful bacteria.
High percentages of Sodium Lactate can have an exfoliating effect.
Fun fact: Sodium Lactate is produced from fermented sugar.
Learn more about Sodium LactateSodium PCA (the salt of PCA) is one of the most well-established humectants in skincare.
Why is it so special? Your skin already makes it naturally; it's a natural component of your skin's Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF), or the mix of water-binding compounds inside your skin cells that keeps things soft and hydrated.
As a cosmetic ingredient, it grabs water and holds it in the upper layers of skin to smooth roughness and ease dehydration.
There's some clinical support for the NMF approach with a study showing that a cream built to mimic the skin's NMF significantly boosted hydration.
Safety-wise, this ingredient non-irritating, non-comedogenic, and non-phototoxic in testing, with minimal skin absorption.
It also works really well with other hydrators like glycerin or hyaluronic acid, and typical usage is somewhere between 0.2-4%.
Learn more about Sodium PCAWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
