What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Carnosine
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Citrate
BufferingGlyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Silica Dimethyl Silylate
EmollientPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Neoruscogenin
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Ruscogenin
Skin ConditioningDisodium Adenosine Triphosphate
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingLaminaria Digitata Extract
Skin Protecting
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Sodium Polyacrylate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Squalane, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Carnosine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caffeine, Sodium Citrate, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Polysorbate 60, Phenoxyethanol, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Propylene Glycol, Adenosine, Neoruscogenin, Sorbitan Isostearate, Ruscogenin, Disodium Adenosine Triphosphate, Hexylene Glycol, Laminaria Digitata Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Propanediol
Solvent
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Synthetic Wax
Abrasive
Nylon-12
PEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer
Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Citrate
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Propylene Carbonate
SolventDipropylene Glycol
HumectantDisteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Propylene Glycol, Hydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol, Alcohol Denat., Propanediol, Panthenol, Synthetic Wax, Nylon-12, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid, Tocopherol, Sodium Polyacrylate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Adenosine, Chlorphenesin, Propylene Carbonate, Dipropylene Glycol, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Disodium EDTA, Parfum
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 AdenosineGlycerin (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.
Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolSodium Citrate is the sodium salts of citric acid. In skincare, it is used to alter pH levels and acts as a preservative.
Its main functions are to maintain the pH of a product and neutralize metal ions.
The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome; normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5).
Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.
Learn more about Sodium CitrateSodium 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 HyaluronateSodium Polyacrylate is the sodium salt of polyacrylic acid. It is used as an absorber, emollient, and stabilizer.
This ingredient is a super-absorbent polymer - meaning it can absorb 100 to 1000 times its mass in water. As an emollient, Sodium Polyacrylate helps soften and soothe skin. Emollients work by creating a barrier to trap moisture in. This helps keep your skin hydrated.
Water. 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
