What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantLimnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
SmoothingPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningFucus Vesiculosus Extract
EmollientHair Extract
(Licorice/Reynoutria Japonica) Root/Stem Extract
AntioxidantAlgae Extract
EmollientRosa Rugosa Callus Culture Extract
AntimicrobialAlgae
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingPolyglyceryl-10 Oleate
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
EmulsifyingPanthenol
Skin ConditioningDiphenyl Dimethicone
EmollientTriethylhexanoin
MaskingSodium Polyacrylate
AbsorbentC10-30 Alkyl Acrylate
Tocopherol
AntioxidantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingParfum
MaskingWater, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Niacinamide, Pentylene Glycol, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Hair Extract, (Licorice/Reynoutria Japonica) Root/Stem Extract, Algae Extract, Rosa Rugosa Callus Culture Extract, Algae, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Propanediol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Panthenol, Diphenyl Dimethicone, Triethylhexanoin, Sodium Polyacrylate, C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Parfum
Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract 80%
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningWater
Skin ConditioningTrehalose
HumectantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientLimnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin ConditioningMacadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
EmollientArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil
EmollientInulin Lauryl Carbamate
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Surfactin
CleansingCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingHibiscus Esculentus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningNelumbo Nucifera Root Extract
Skin ConditioningUndaria Pinnatifida Extract
Skin ConditioningLaminaria Japonica Extract
Skin ProtectingPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningAvena Sativa Meal Extract
SoothingMalt Extract
Skin ProtectingPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantDisodium EDTA
Glycerin
HumectantHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingOryza Sativa Extract
AbsorbentSodium Polyacrylate
AbsorbentCitric Acid
BufferingDeoxyphytantriyl Palmitamide Mea
Skin ConditioningGlycine Max Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Fruit Extract
EmollientDioscorea Japonica Root Extract 80%, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Water, Trehalose, Panthenol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Sodium Surfactin, Ceramide NP, Cholesterol, Stearic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hibiscus Esculentus Fruit Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Root Extract, Undaria Pinnatifida Extract, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Seed Extract, Avena Sativa Meal Extract, Malt Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Disodium EDTA, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Oryza Sativa Extract, Sodium Polyacrylate, Citric Acid, Deoxyphytantriyl Palmitamide Mea, Glycine Max Seed Extract, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract
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 GlycolCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl 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 GlycerinHydrogenated Lecithin is a more stable version of lecithin.
It's made by taking lecithin (a phospholipid commonly found in soybeans and egg yolks) and hydrogenating it. This just means the unsaturated fatty acids are turned into saturated ones so they don't go bad as easily.
This ingredient is an emollient, emulsifier, and penetration enhancer. As an emollient, it helps soften and hydrate skin by trapping moisture within. As an emulsifier, it prevents oil and water ingredients from separating.
Hydrogenated Lecithin can form tiny spherical structures made of phospholipid bilayers called liposomes. These liposomes are able to capture compounds inside their structure and deliver them through the skin barrier.
Because phospholipids are a natural component of our cell membranes, this ingredient is inherently compatible with skin.
A 2021 study found lecithin-based surfactants were less harsh and more tolerable comared to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).
Learn more about Hydrogenated LecithinLimnanthes Alba Seed Oil is the oil extracted from the seeds of the meadowfoam plant. This oil is non-fragrant and is an emollient. As an emollient, meadowfoam seed oil helps soften and hydrate the skin.
Meadowfoam seed oil is stable and has a long shelf life due to its chemical structure. It has the highest concentration of stable fatty-acids among plant oils, preventing it from degrading once exposed to oxygen.
Due to the fatty acid content, this ingredient may not be fungal-acne safe.
Meadowfoam is native to California and Oregon.
Learn more about Limnanthes Alba Seed OilPanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolPentylene 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 Polyacrylate is the sodium salt of polyacrylic acid. It is used as an absorber, emollient, and stabilizer.
This ingredient is a super-absorbent polymer - meaning it can absorb 100 to 1000 times its mass in water. As an emollient, Sodium Polyacrylate helps soften and soothe skin. Emollients work by creating a barrier to trap moisture in. This helps keep your skin hydrated.
Water. 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