What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Glycerin
Humectant
Panax Ginseng Root Extract 3.97%
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Panax Ginseng Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract
Skin ConditioningAngelica Gigas Root Extract
Skin ConditioningRheum Palmatum Root Extract
Astringent
Angelica Pubescens Root Extract
Skin ConditioningSchizonepeta Tenuifolia Extract
Skin ConditioningPhellodendron Amurense Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningMalt Extract
Skin ProtectingEthoxydiglycol
HumectantHydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans
HumectantHyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Boswellia Serrata Resin Extract
Smoothing1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Isohexadecane
EmollientPolysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingGlycerin, Panax Ginseng Root Extract 3.97%, Butylene Glycol, Panax Ginseng Seed Oil, Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract, Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract, Angelica Gigas Root Extract, Rheum Palmatum Root Extract, Angelica Pubescens Root Extract, Schizonepeta Tenuifolia Extract, Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract, Malt Extract, Ethoxydiglycol, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Hyaluronic Acid, Boswellia Serrata Resin Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Water, Ethylhexylglycerin, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Isohexadecane, Polysorbate 80, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Ahnfeltia Concinna Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Citric Acid
Buffering
Isoceteth-20
EmulsifyingEthoxydiglycol
HumectantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
Emulsifying1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Water, Sodium Hyaluronate, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Panthenol, Ahnfeltia Concinna Extract, Glycerin, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Citric Acid, Isoceteth-20, Ethoxydiglycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol
Reviews
Alternatives
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
Ethoxydiglycol (aka Diethylene Glycol Monoethyl Ether) is one of the cosmetic world's quiet problem solvers.
In a formula, it is a solvent that dissolves tricky ingredients that don't want to mix in and helps spread ingredients evenly across your skin without leaving a greasy or sticky feeling
This makes it great for hard-to-dissolve actives like vitamin C, benzoyl peroxide, and self-tanner DHA.
It also has mild humectant and penetration enhancer abilities so it can help some actives absorb a little deeper.
The penetration boost is backed by lab research: studies using human skin samples found it improved how well an active dissolves into the upper layer of skin rather than tearing down your skin barrier. Reviews of its mechanism also describe it interacting gently with the lipids and water in your outermost layer of skin.
Just know this penetration-enhancing effect is not universal. It helps a lot in some formulas and did very little in others (so the benefit really depends on the specific product).
Safety-wise, the evidence is reassuring. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel reviewed it and concluded it's safe for use in cosmetics and recognized it as non-irritating, non-sensitizing, and non-comedogenic in skincare.
Typical leave-on skincare usage lands around 1-10%. The EU has sets caps of 2.6% in non-spray products, 10% in rinse-offs, 7% in oxidative hair dye, and 5% in non-oxidative hair dye.
Learn more about EthoxydiglycolEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinWater. 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
