What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Oryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Betaine
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCeramide AP
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Phyllostachys Pubescens Shoot Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningAspergillus Ferment
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Yeast Beta-Glucan
Skin ConditioningTrehalose
Humectant
Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPulsatilla Koreana Extract
Skin ConditioningUsnea Barbata Extract
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Sodium Phytate
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate
Skin Conditioning
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Water, Propanediol, Oryza Sativa Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Betaine, Glycerin, Xanthan Gum, Ceramide AP, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phyllostachys Pubescens Shoot Bark Extract, Aspergillus Ferment, Butylene Glycol, Yeast Beta-Glucan, Trehalose, Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract, Pulsatilla Koreana Extract, Usnea Barbata Extract, Alcohol, Sodium Phytate, Hyaluronic Acid, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Matrixyl 3000
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Codium Tomentosum Extract
Skin ProtectingCitrus Paradisi Seed Extract
Masking
Cereus Grandiflorus Extract
Antioxidant
Polyglyceryl-6 Caprylate
EmulsifyingTrehalose
Humectant
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Butylene Glycol, Matrixyl 3000, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Codium Tomentosum Extract, Citrus Paradisi Seed Extract, Cereus Grandiflorus Extract, Polyglyceryl-6 Caprylate, Trehalose, Hydroxyacetophenone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Allantoin, Stearic Acid, Xanthan Gum
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
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 GlycerinHyaluronic 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 AcidTrehalose is a disaccharide made of two glucose molecules (glucose is sugar!). Trehalose is used to help moisturize skin. It also has antioxidant properties.
As a humectant, trehalose helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This helps keep your skin hydrated.
Due to its antioxidant properties, trehalose may help with signs of aging. Antioxidants help fight free-radical molecules, unstable molecules that may damage your skin.
In medicine, trehalose and hyaluronic acid are used to help treat dry eyes.
Some animals, plants, and bacteria create trehalose as a source of energy to survive freeze or lack of water.
Learn more about TrehaloseWater. 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 WaterXanthan 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
