This calming serum is formulated around Niacinamide to calm redness and strengthen the skin barrier.
This hydrating serum is formulated around Beta-Glucan and Adenosine to hydrate skin and strengthen the skin barrier.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingLimnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Brassica Campestris Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCannabis Sativa Seed/Stem Oil
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil
Perfuming
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Lactate
Buffering
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine
Skin Conditioning
Sucrose Palmitate
EmollientTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Glyceryl Linoleate
Emollient
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Paullinia Cupana Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningEpilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingMangifera Indica Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSilver
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Niacinamide, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Brassica Campestris Seed Oil, Carbomer, Cannabis Sativa Seed/Stem Oil, Tocopherol, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract, Sodium Lactate, Sodium PCA, Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine, Sucrose Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glyceryl Linoleate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Paullinia Cupana Seed Extract, Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Mangifera Indica Fruit Extract, Silver
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.
Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.
It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.
Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.
A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.
Learn more about CarbomerGlycerin (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 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 Water
