What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Betaine
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Beta Vulgaris Root Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Corn Starch
HumectantTapioca Starch
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingCapryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningDiheptyl Succinate
EmollientTocopherol
Antioxidant
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Myristyl Alcohol
Emollient
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingGluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Calcium Gluconate
HumectantParfum
Masking
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Propanediol, Betaine, Glycerin, Stearyl Alcohol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycine Soja Oil, Dicaprylyl Ether, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Beta Vulgaris Root Extract, Hydrolyzed Corn Starch, Tapioca Starch, Xanthan Gum, Sclerotium Gum, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Diheptyl Succinate, Tocopherol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Myristyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Gluconolactone, Calcium Gluconate, Parfum, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate
Water
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Betaine
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Glycereth-26
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantButylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientIsononyl Isononanoate
EmollientHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Sodium Dna
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Olivate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate
Emulsifying
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Copper Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningFucus Vesiculosus Extract
Emollient
Prunella Vulgaris Extract
Antioxidant
Momordica Charantia Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningHibiscus Esculentus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningMorinda Citrifolia Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Cyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningSodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingWater, Disodium EDTA, Betaine, Niacinamide, Adenosine, Citric Acid, Panthenol, Glycereth-26, Glycerin, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Sorbitan Isostearate, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Isononyl Isononanoate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide NP, Ceramide As, Ceramide AP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Sodium Dna, Ethylhexyl Olivate, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Copper Tripeptide-1, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Potassium Hyaluronate, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Prunella Vulgaris Extract, Momordica Charantia Fruit Extract, Hibiscus Esculentus Fruit Extract, Morinda Citrifolia Fruit Extract, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum, Cyanocobalamin, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Betaine is a humectant. Like hyaluronic acid, it helps attract and retain moisture in the skin. It’s known for being gentle and for helping the skin maintain balanced hydration.
Betaine is mainly used to improve hydration and support calmer skin. It helps skin cells regulate water balance because it functions as an osmolyte.
Some studies suggest betaine may support making skin tone more even.
Fun fact: Betaine naturally exists in the skin and the body. In cosmetic products, it can be either plant-derived (most commonly from sugar beets) or synthetically produced for consistency and stability.
Betaine is also known as trimethylglycine.
Learn more about BetaineCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydrolyzed 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 AcidParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumWater. 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
