What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Niacinamide
SmoothingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
HumectantAcetyl Glucosamine
Skin ConditioningWine Extract
AntioxidantButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantΑ-Olefin Oligomer
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningDiglycerin
HumectantLimnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin ConditioningPEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate
EmulsifyingDimethicone
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPEG-20 Sorbitan Isostearate
EmulsifyingBeheneth-5
EmulsifyingPoly(2-Methacryloyloxyethyl Phosphorylcholine-Co-N-Butyl Methacrylate)
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEDTA
Triethanolamine
BufferingCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientBehenyl Alcohol
EmollientHyaluronic Acid
HumectantNiacinamide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Acetyl Glucosamine, Wine Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Α-Olefin Oligomer, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Pentylene Glycol, Diglycerin, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-20 Sorbitan Isostearate, Beheneth-5, Poly(2-Methacryloyloxyethyl Phosphorylcholine-Co-N-Butyl Methacrylate), Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Xanthan Gum, EDTA, Triethanolamine, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Hyaluronic Acid
Tranexamic Acid
AstringentDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
HumectantHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantMagnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
AntioxidantTocopherol
AntioxidantButylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantDiglycerin
HumectantPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantPEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate
EmulsifyingPEG-8
HumectantHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
BufferingEDTA
Styrene/Vp Copolymer
Polysorbate 20
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeTranexamic Acid, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tocopherol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Diglycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate, PEG-8, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Citric Acid, EDTA, Styrene/Vp Copolymer, Polysorbate 20, Phenoxyethanol
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 GlycolDiglycerin is a humectant. It is derived from glycerin, which is naturally found in your skin.
As a humectant, it helps draw moisture to the skin from the air.
EDTA is the shortened name for ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid. It is a chelating agent and used to stabilize products.
Chelating Agents are used to prevent trace metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This can prevent unwanted reactions or changed efficacy of products.
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 GlycerinHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid (HA) that is broken down into lower molecular weight fragments.
It's a humectant that pulls and holds water in the skin to help with hydration, plumpness, and reduce transepidermal water loss.
Because hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid is smaller in size, it can slip past your outermost layer of skin more easily than full-sized HA.
Most formulations will combine all sizes to get the best of both worlds.
Typical usage levels range from 0.01-1%. Any percentage higher than 2% might become goopy and tacky.
Learn more about Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic AcidThis ingredient is an emulsifier that keeps the oily and watery parts of a formula blended together. Its real party trick is making thin, flowable, and very stable emulsions.
Typical use sits around 2-4% (a bit higher for sunscreens and foundations).
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe in cosmetics and noted the large molecules aren't likely to be absorbed into skin.
Because it carries a fatty-acid ester component (stearic acid), it may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about PEG-30 DipolyhydroxystearatePentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolSodium 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 Hyaluronate