What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
PEG-20 Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Triethylhexanoin
MaskingPropanediol
Solvent
PPG-10 Methyl Glucose Ether
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingTocopherol
Antioxidant
BHT
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Zea Mays Oil
Emulsifying
Thioctic Acid
Antioxidant
Beta-Carotene
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, PEG-20 Sorbitan Isostearate, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Triethylhexanoin, Propanediol, PPG-10 Methyl Glucose Ether, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Tocopherol, BHT, Disodium EDTA, Retinyl Palmitate, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Benzoic Acid, Sorbic Acid, Zea Mays Oil, Thioctic Acid, Beta-Carotene, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Pentylene Glycol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantParaffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Triethylhexanoin
MaskingHydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin)
EmollientLactococcus/Hyaluronic Acid Ferment Filtrate
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Aphanothece Sacrum Exopolysaccharides
AbsorbentAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingArginine
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Paraffinum Liquidum, Dimethicone, Cetyl Alcohol, Triethylhexanoin, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Lactococcus/Hyaluronic Acid Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Aphanothece Sacrum Exopolysaccharides, Allantoin, Palmitic Acid, Cetyl Phosphate, Arginine, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol
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 GlycolDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 AcidHydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.
This ingredient helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.
This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.
Learn more about HydroxyethylcellulosePentylene 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 GlycolPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Sodium 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 HyaluronateSodium 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 HyaluronateSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer is a crosslinked version of sodium hyaluronate. This just means it's linked into a 3D mesh network that lets it be more stable and sit on skin as a cohesive, gel-like film rather than sinking into skin.
A 2016 human skin study found crosslinked HA increased epidermal water content by 7.6% over the control group and reduced transepidermal water loss by 27.8%.
A follow-up clinical trial found that a topical crosslinked HA serum applied after fillers, microneedling, or chemical peels was well-tolerated and enhanced skin quality at 14 / 28 days.
More recent research suggests that concentrations as low as 0.03% can act as a penetration enhancer for other skincare actives.
Learn more about Sodium Hyaluronate CrosspolymerTriethylhexanoin is created from glycerin and 2-ethylhexanoic acid. It is a solvent and emollient.
As a solvent, Triethylhexanoin helps dissolve ingredients to stable bases or help evenly distribute ingredients throughout the product.
It is also an emollient and helps condition the skin.
Learn more about TriethylhexanoinWater. 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
