What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmulsifyingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Trehalose
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningMentha Haplocalix Extract
MaskingViola Mandshurica Flower Extract
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Houttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Rhodophyceae Extract
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Potassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Water, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Propylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Trehalose, Niacinamide, Allantoin, Disodium EDTA, Pentylene Glycol, Panthenol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Mentha Haplocalix Extract, Viola Mandshurica Flower Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Hydrolyzed Rhodophyceae Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Potassium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Water
Skin ConditioningPoloxamer 184
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Sorbitol
Humectant
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Lactobacillus
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans
HumectantHydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Water, Poloxamer 184, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Sorbitol, Decyl Glucoside, Propylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Lactobacillus, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed 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.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Disodium 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 EDTAHyaluronic acid (HA) is a glycosaminoglycan (basically a long sugar chain) that your skin already makes on its own. In your skin, HA lives in the extracellular matrix and acts as the body's moisture reservoir.
Topically, HA is a humectant that binds water and helps skin look more plump, smooth, and hydrated.
The only catch is that HA isn't a single thing; it actually comes in a wide range of molecular weights (~50 - 2,000+ kDA) and size matters.
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
This is why the best HA serums blend the two sizes together so you get the best of both worlds.
The majority of cosmetic HA is produced by bacterial fermentation, typically using Streptococcus or Bacillus strains. Typical use levels in skincare sit around 0.1-2%.
A clinical study using a 0.2% low-molecular weight HA gel showed improvement in facial seborrheic dermatitis with excellent tolerance.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Learn more about Hyaluronic AcidHydrolyzed 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 created by putting sodium hyaluronate through hydrolysis.
You might know this as 'mini' or 'ultra low-molecular weight' hyaluronic acid. The small molecule size means it is able to travel deeper in the skin.
According to studies, low molecular-weight hyaluronic acid can:
One study from 2011 found ultra-low weight HA to show pro-inflammatory properties. Another study from 2022 found it to downregulate UV-B induced inflammation.
Hydrolysis is a process of changing a molecule using water or enzymes.
This ingredient is water-soluble.
Learn more about Hydrolyzed Sodium HyaluronatePhenoxyethanol 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.
Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene 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 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 CrosspolymerWater. 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
