What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSaccharomyces Ferment Filtrate
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
PEG-32
HumectantIsononyl Isononanoate
EmollientBis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
Emollient
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingHydrogenated Polydecene
Emollient
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Alpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Honey Extract
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Trehalose
Humectant
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantTrideceth-10
CleansingGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Pvm/Ma Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSerine
Masking
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Candida Bombicola/Glucose/Methyl Rapeseedate Ferment
AntimicrobialAlgin
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Disodium Phosphate
BufferingGlyceryl Polyacrylate
Pullulan
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Potassium Phosphate
BufferingHydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sebacic Acid
Buffering10-Hydroxydecanoic Acid
Skin Conditioning1,10-Decanediol
SolventWater, Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Butylene Glycol, Cyclopentasiloxane, 1,2-Hexanediol, Dimethicone, Hydroxyacetophenone, PEG-32, Isononyl Isononanoate, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Dimethiconol, Alpha-Arbutin, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Centella Asiatica Extract, Honey Extract, Urea, Trehalose, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Trideceth-10, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Pvm/Ma Copolymer, Serine, Pentylene Glycol, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Candida Bombicola/Glucose/Methyl Rapeseedate Ferment, Algin, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Disodium Phosphate, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Pullulan, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Propylene Glycol, Potassium Phosphate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Potassium Sorbate, Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract, Sebacic Acid, 10-Hydroxydecanoic Acid, 1,10-Decanediol
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Oryza Sativa Germ Oil
Emollient
Honey
Humectant
Sericin
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Silk
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Yogurt Extract
Skin ConditioningWater
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
Humectant
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Methicone
Emollient
Triethylhexanoin
Masking
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Α-Olefin Oligomer
PEG-8
HumectantStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Methyl Stearoyl Taurate
CleansingPetrolatum
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Pyrosulfate
PEG/PPG-14/7 Dimethyl Ether
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Conchiolin Protein
Skin ConditioningPrunus Avium Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
3-Hydroxybenzoic Acid
Skin ConditioningTranexamic Acid, Oryza Sativa Germ Oil, Honey, Sericin, Hydrolyzed Silk, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Yogurt Extract, Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Behenyl Alcohol, Methicone, Triethylhexanoin, Paraffinum Liquidum, Α-Olefin Oligomer, PEG-8, Stearyl Alcohol, Sodium Methyl Stearoyl Taurate, Petrolatum, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Lactate, Citric Acid, Sodium Pyrosulfate, PEG/PPG-14/7 Dimethyl Ether, Hydrolyzed Conchiolin Protein, Prunus Avium Fruit Extract, Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, 3-Hydroxybenzoic Acid
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 GlycolGlycerin (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 PhenoxyethanolSodium 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 HyaluronateWater. 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
