What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Isostearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol Cocoate
Emulsifying
PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer
SolventPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingDihydroxypropyl Arginine Hcl
HumectantHydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientTriethanolamine
BufferingBHT
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ethylcellulose
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTetrasodium EDTA
Trideceth-10
CleansingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
2,3-Butanediol
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
Antioxidant
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialScutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Dipotassium EDTA
Ceramide Ag
Humectant
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Glucosyl Ceramide
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Isostearyl Alcohol, Ethoxydiglycol, Pentylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol Cocoate, PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Dihydroxypropyl Arginine Hcl, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Triethanolamine, BHT, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylcellulose, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tetrasodium EDTA, Trideceth-10, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hydroxide, Ceramide NP, 2,3-Butanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Glyceryl Stearate, Chlorphenesin, Ceramide AP, Cholesterol, Dipotassium EDTA, Ceramide Ag, Ceramide As, Ceramide Ng, Ceramide Ns, Glucosyl Ceramide, Ceramide EOP
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Algae Extract
EmollientMethylpropanediol
SolventArtemisia Vulgaris Extract
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium
Zinc Hydrolyzed Hyaluronate
HumectantPolyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Creatine
Skin ConditioningSodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingDiglycerin
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Dna
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Water, Butylene Glycol, Ceramide NP, Sodium Hyaluronate, Algae Extract, Methylpropanediol, Artemisia Vulgaris Extract, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Panthenol, Beta-Glucan, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycerin, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium, Zinc Hydrolyzed Hyaluronate, Polyglutamic Acid, Squalane, Creatine, Sodium Polyacrylate, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Laureth-7, Diglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Dna, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Disodium EDTA
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
Butylene 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 GlycolCeramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
Learn more about Ceramide NPGlycerin (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 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
