What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Betaine
Humectant
Diglycerin
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Acetyl Glycyl Beta-Alanine
Skin ConditioningXylitylglucoside
Humectant
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Glucose
Humectant
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Glyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Gleditsia Triacanthos Seed Extract
Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract
Antimicrobial
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Sodium DNA
Skin Conditioning
Water, Hyaluronic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Tranexamic Acid, Betaine, Diglycerin, Glycerin, Acetyl Glycyl Beta-Alanine, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Glucose, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Glyceryl Glucoside, Phenoxyethanol, Gleditsia Triacanthos Seed Extract, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Chlorphenesin, Sodium DNA
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantMethyl Gluceth-20
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Cornus Officinalis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingSodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningArginine Ferulate
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Phaeodactylum Tricornutum Extract
HumectantPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Lecithin
Emollient
Steareth-20
CleansingTremella Fuciformis Extract
Humectant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Trideceth-9
EmulsifyingSodium Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Magnolia Sieboldii Extract
Skin ConditioningTripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Sclareolide
Masking
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Phenylethyl Resorcinol
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
Undecylenoyl Phenylalanine
Skin Conditioning
Mannitol
Humectant
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-9
Skin Conditioning
Hexapeptide-9
Skin Conditioning
Glabridin
BleachingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
Ergothioneine
Antioxidant
Silica
Abrasive
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Methyl Gluceth-20, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Cornus Officinalis Fruit Extract, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Niacinamide, Hydroxyacetophenone, 1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide, Propanediol, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Ethylhexylglycerin, Arginine Ferulate, Pentylene Glycol, Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract, Disodium EDTA, Phaeodactylum Tricornutum Extract, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Lecithin, Steareth-20, Tremella Fuciformis Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Trideceth-9, Sodium Ascorbate, Magnolia Sieboldii Extract, Tripeptide-1, Ceramide NP, Sclareolide, Propylene Glycol, Phenylethyl Resorcinol, Parfum, Undecylenoyl Phenylalanine, Mannitol, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-9, Hexapeptide-9, Glabridin, Tocopherol, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Citric Acid, Ceramide As, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide Ng, Ergothioneine, Silica, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer is a synthetically created polymer. It's used as a film-forming agent and used to thicken the consistency of products.
Think of it as a supportive ingredient that helps your gel-creams feel silky, "cloud cream-like", and spread evenly without being greasy.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel evaluated it (along with 22 other acryloyldimethyltaurate polymers) and concluded it's:
Due to its large molecular size, it sits on the surface of skin rather than penetrating it.
Learn more about Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp CopolymerButylene 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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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 PhenoxyethanolWater. 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
