What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantPropanediol
SolventNiacinamide
SmoothingEthyl Macadamiate
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethyl Urea
HumectantGlycereth-26
HumectantGalactomyces Ferment Filtrate
HumectantPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeDimethicone
EmollientSodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingMethyl Gluceth-20
HumectantSodium Polyacrylate
AbsorbentHydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientC15-19 Alkane
SolventHydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus Ferment
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPhytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantAminomethyl Propanol
BufferingTriethylene Glycol
MaskingDisodium EDTA
Trideceth-6
Emulsifying1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningC10-16 Alkyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantSucrose Stearate
EmollientCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningHyaluronic Acid
HumectantHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantHydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningHydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Pentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPotassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant2-Aminobutanol
BufferingCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningCeramide As
Skin ConditioningCeramide Ng
Skin ConditioningGlycosphingolipids
EmollientWater, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Niacinamide, Ethyl Macadamiate, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Glycereth-26, Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate, Phenoxyethanol, Dimethicone, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Methyl Gluceth-20, Sodium Polyacrylate, Hydrogenated Polydecene, C15-19 Alkane, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Lactobacillus Ferment, Allantoin, Carbomer, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Aminomethyl Propanol, Triethylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Trideceth-6, 1,2-Hexanediol, C10-16 Alkyl Glucoside, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sucrose Stearate, Ceramide NP, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Pentylene Glycol, Potassium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, 2-Aminobutanol, Ceramide AP, Ceramide As, Ceramide Ng, Glycosphingolipids
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
EmollientCetearyl Olivate
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Olivate
EmulsifyingButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningTrehalose
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningPhytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
EmollientCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningPolyacrylamide
C13-14 Isoparaffin
EmollientTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingC9-11 Pareth-6
EmulsifyingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
BufferingWater, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Cetearyl Olivate, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Sorbitan Olivate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Trehalose, 1,2-Hexanediol, Propanediol, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Ceramide EOP, Polyacrylamide, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, C9-11 Pareth-6, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric 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.
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
Carbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.
Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.
It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.
Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.
A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.
Learn more about CarbomerCeramide AP is is a skin-identical lipid that mimics what your skin already makes naturally. Ceramides help maintain epidermal integrity and barrier function.
You'll often see this ingredient paired with other ceramides (like ceramide NP), cholesterol, or fatty acids because this combination best mimics the natural lipid mix your skin already has.
The skin's ability to produce ceramides gets disrupted in skin conditions like eczema. This in turn weakens the skin barrier and applying ceramides topically has been shown to replenish what's been lost to restore barrier function.
Most of the studies with Ceramide AP test it as part of a multi-ceramide complex; studies reinforce ceramide AP's role in rebalancing ceramides in skin and improving skin hydration.
Learn more about Ceramide APCeramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
Learn more about Ceramide NPPhenoxyethanol 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 PhenoxyethanolPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolWater. 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