What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydrogenated Olive Oil Lauryl Esters
Emulsion Stabilising
Squalene
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Diisostearyl Malate
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Water
Skin ConditioningBehenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil
Emollient
Perilla Ocymoides Leaf Extract
TonicPaeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract
Skin ProtectingSalvia Officinalis Leaf Extract
CleansingCarthamus Tinctorius Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningGardenia Florida Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningBetula Platyphylla Japonica Juice
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Trimethylsiloxysilicate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPropanediol
Solvent
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-10 Pentastearate
Skin Conditioning
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Dextrin
AbsorbentSodium Stearoyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientTromethamine
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Lauryl Esters, Squalene, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Diisostearyl Malate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Jojoba Esters, Water, Behenyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Adenosine, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil, Perilla Ocymoides Leaf Extract, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract, Carthamus Tinctorius Flower Extract, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Betula Platyphylla Japonica Juice, Sodium Hyaluronate, Beta-Glucan, Cyclopentasiloxane, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Cetearyl Alcohol, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Propanediol, Carbomer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polyglyceryl-10 Pentastearate, Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dextrin, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Caprylyl Glycol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Tromethamine, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Snail Secretion Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingEthyl Hexanediol
SolventPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Arginine
Masking
Dimethicone
Emollient
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Snail Secretion Filtrate, Betaine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butylene Glycol, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Carbomer, Ethyl Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Arginine, Dimethicone, Sodium Polyacrylate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Allantoin, Palmitic Acid, Panthenol, Xanthan Gum, Stearic Acid, Adenosine, Water, Myristic 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.
Adenosine is in every living organism. It is one of four components in nucleic acids that helps store our DNA.
Adenosine has many benefits when used. These benefits include hydrating the skin, smoothing skin, and reducing wrinkles. Once applied, adenosine increases collagen production. It also helps with improving firmness and tissue repair.
Studies have found adenosine may also help with wound healing.
In skincare products, Adenosine is usually derived from yeast.
Learn more about AdenosineButylene 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 GlycolThis ingredient is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.
It helps thicken a product's formula and makes it easier to spread by dissolving clumping compounds.
Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid. Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. It is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid. In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Be sure to patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCarbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerCetearyl 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 AlcoholDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconePhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateWater. 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
