This hydrating serum is formulated around Sodium Hyaluronate and Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate to hydrate skin and strengthen the skin barrier.
This barrier-repair serum is formulated around Gluconolactone and Madecassoside to strengthen the skin barrier.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
PPG-12
Skin ConditioningMethylal
SolventGlucose
Humectant
Ethyl Ether
SolventCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSqualane
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Disodium EDTA
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, PPG-12, Methylal, Glucose, Ethyl Ether, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Sodium Polyacrylate, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Squalane, Phenoxyethanol, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Propanediol, Polysorbate 60, Disodium EDTA, Sorbitan Isostearate, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantGluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Phaseolus Angularis Seed Extract
Antioxidant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Pseudoalteromonas Ferment Extract
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPolyglyceryl-10 Stearate
Skin Conditioning
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Gluconolactone, Glyceryl Glucoside, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Phaseolus Angularis Seed Extract, Butylene Glycol, Pseudoalteromonas Ferment Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Sclerotium Gum, Chlorphenesin, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hydroxide, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Madecassoside
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideGlycerin (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 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 PhenoxyethanolWater. 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
