What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantHydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Diglycerin
Humectant
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Caprylate/Caprate
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBehenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Tranexamic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tocopherol, Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Extract, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Diglycerin, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Sorbitan Stearate, Polysorbate 80, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Glyceryl Caprylate/Caprate, Xanthan Gum, Behenyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Acetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Wine Extract
Antioxidant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Α-Olefin Oligomer
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Diglycerin
Humectant
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Emulsifying
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-20 Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Beheneth-5
EmulsifyingPoly(2-Methacryloyloxyethyl Phosphorylcholine-Co-N-Butyl Methacrylate)
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEDTA
Triethanolamine
BufferingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Niacinamide, 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
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Behenyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol (these are different from the drying, solvent alcohols).
Fatty Alcohols have hydrating properties and are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product. They are usually derived from natural fats and oils; behenyl alcohol is derived from the fats of vegetable oils.
Emollients help keep your skin soft and hydrated by creating a film that traps moisture in.
In 2000, Behenyl Alcohol was approved by the US as medicine to reduce the duration of cold sores.
Learn more about Behenyl AlcoholButylene 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.
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 AcidLimnanthes Alba Seed Oil is from the seeds of the meadowfoam plant. It is a skin conditioning agent and emollient that sits on top of skin to soften and hydrate it.
Over 98% of the oil is made up of long-chain fatty acids, mostly aachidic acid (61%), docosenoic acid (~16%), and docosadienoic acid (~18%).
This combination is not really found in any other plant oil and is the reason this is one of the most stable botanical oils available.
Some studies show it to be more stable than jojoba oil, helps a product resist going rancid, and can help extend the shelf life of a formula.
It also naturally contains vitamin E and phytosterols that give it a mild antioxidant benefit.
This ingredient is typically used from around 1% to fairly high levels since it's gentle; it's well-tolerated and low on the irritation scale.
Learn more about Limnanthes Alba Seed OilPentylene 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 Acetylated Hyaluronate is a type of Hyaluronic Acid.
Hyaluronic Acids help moisturize, soothe, and protect the skin.
Read about common types of Hyaluronic Acid here:
Learn more about Sodium Acetylated HyaluronateXanthan 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
