What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantNiacinamide
Smoothing
Betaine
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingSodium Metaphosphate
BufferingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Prunus Yedoensis Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Water
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin)
EmollientButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Vinyldimethicone
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Sparassis Crispa Extract
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
Polyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Olivate
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Propanediol
Solvent
Arginine
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Water, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Panthenol, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Vinyldimethicone, Beta-Glucan, Sparassis Crispa Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Polyglutamic Acid, Cetearyl Olivate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Sorbitan Olivate, Propanediol, Arginine, Carbomer, Allantoin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol, Caprylyl Glycol
Reviews
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.Â
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 preservativesÂ
Carbomer 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 CarbomerEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.Â
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolTocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
