What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Water
MaskingCucumis Sativus Fruit Water
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingRosa Damascena Flower Water
Masking
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Powder
Skin Conditioning
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientSorbic Acid
Preservative
Sodium Anisate
AntimicrobialSodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Water, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Benzyl Alcohol, Alcohol, Benzoic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Powder, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Sodium Hydroxide, Glyceryl Caprylate, Sorbic Acid, Sodium Anisate, Sodium Levulinate, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Lactobacillus/Ganoderma Lucidum Extract/Lentinus Edodes Extract Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningBetaine
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Zinc PCA
Humectant
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Lonicera Caprifolium Extract
AstringentLonicera Japonica Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningLactic Acid
Buffering
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientBiosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Collagen
Moisturising
Glycerin
Humectant
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningSodium Anisate
AntimicrobialSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Propylene Glycol, Lactobacillus/Ganoderma Lucidum Extract/Lentinus Edodes Extract Ferment Filtrate, Betaine, Pentylene Glycol, Zinc PCA, Lactobacillus Ferment, Lonicera Caprifolium Extract, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Lactic Acid, Glyceryl Caprylate, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Collagen, Glycerin, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Anisate, Sodium Gluconate, 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.
Biosaccharide Gum-1 is a sugar created by fermenting sorbitol (which usually comes from potato starch!). It is known for its soothing and moisturizing properties.
Manufacturer tests show this ingredient helped reduce irritation from lactic acid by almost half and kept skin hydrated long-term as a humectant
Beyond hydration, Biosaccharide Gum-1 gives formulas a silky, non-sticky feel.
This ingredient is gentle, versatile, and suitable for all skin types.
Fun fact: Similar sugars can be found naturally in fruits like apples and pears.
Learn more about Biosaccharide Gum-1Glycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl Caprylate comes from glycerin and caprylic acid. It is an emollient, co-emulsifier, and preservative booster.
Its short C8 fatty acid chain makes it behave differently from its longer-chain emollient cousins like Glyceryl Stearate. It feels more lightweight, fast-absorbing, and silky instead of rich and waxy.
As a co-emulsifier, its "head" and "tail" sit at the oil-water interface. But overall, the short C8 tail and not being water soluble means it doesn't really have the muscle to emulsify a formula on its own. That's why you'll often see it paired with a primary emulsifier like Cetearyl Glucoside.
Interestingly, Glyceryl Caprylate acts as a preservative booster. This is because its fatty-acid backbone disrupts microbial lipid membranes. It shows excellent activity against bacteria and yeast but is weaker against mold.
Typical concentrations range from 0.5-1% and this ingredient is generally non-irritating.
Because this ingredient has a C8 fatty acid chain, it is outside the range that the Malassezia yeast metabolizes (making it fungal acne safe).
Learn more about Glyceryl CaprylatePentylene 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 Anisate comes from fennel. It is used as a preservative and to add flavoring.
Sodium Anisate has antimicrobial properties.
Sodium levulinate is the a sodium salt of Levulinic Acid. Oncedissolved in an aqueous solution, the two ingredients become identical. It is usually derived from renewable plant sources like corn starch or sugarcane.
In skincare, it mostly acts as a skin conditioning agent that keeps skin soft and hydrated. It also acts as a preservative booster by inhibiting the growth of mold, yeast, and bacteria.
It's often paired with Sodium Anisate as the two create a broad-spectrum preservative system that is popular in "natural" formulations.
This ingredient is water-soluble.
The CIR Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety has concluded this ingredient to be non-irritated and there are no restrictions for use in EU cosmetics. The FDA also allows this ingredient to be used as a food-grade flavoring agent.
Learn more about Sodium LevulinateWater. 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
