What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantSoluble Collagen
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantAnogeissus Leiocarpus Bark Extract
Skin ProtectingPalmitoyl Oligopeptide
CleansingPalmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventButylene Glycol
HumectantVegetable Oil
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientDicaprylyl Ether
EmollientPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingPolyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Skin ConditioningLauryl Glucoside
CleansingTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Citric Acid
BufferingDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientGlyceryl Oleate
EmollientCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingSodium Benzoate
MaskingWater, Glycerin, Soluble Collagen, Sodium Hyaluronate, Anogeissus Leiocarpus Bark Extract, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Vegetable Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Dicaprylyl Ether, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Lauryl Glucoside, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Citric Acid, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glyceryl Oleate, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Benzoate
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantSclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil
HumectantNiacinamide
SmoothingTetradecane
PerfumingCapryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningDiheptyl Succinate
EmollientBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingGlyceryl Oleate
EmollientSucrose Palmitate
EmollientHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientSodium Hydroxide
BufferingDisodium Phosphate
BufferingSodium Phosphate
BufferingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantDilauryl Thiodipropionate
AntioxidantAcetyl Hexapeptide-8
HumectantWater, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Niacinamide, Tetradecane, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Diheptyl Succinate, Benzyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Oleate, Sucrose Palmitate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Carbomer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium Phosphate, Sodium Phosphate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Dilauryl Thiodipropionate, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycolCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCarbomer 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 CarbomerGlycerin (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 Oleate is the monoester of glycerin and oleic acid. It is a skin-conditioning emollient that also helps form emulsions.
What makes glyceryl oleate special is its "re-fatting" effect.
When you wash your hair and skin with a surfactant-based cleanser, the surfactants grab onto everything. This includes your skin's natural lipids, or the fats that live in your skin barrier and sebum. Once you rinse these surfactants away, it leaves your skin feeling tight, dry, and clean (in a not-good way).
Re-fatting is essentially putting some of these lipids back. Glyceryl oleate deposits a thin layer of emollient lipids back on the skin or hair surface reduce some of the barrier damage.
Also, glyceryl oleate isn't a foreign molecule to your skin. It's chemically identical to something your skin already produces and manages naturally. This is why it tends to be well-tolerated with low risk of irritation.
Typical use levels range from 0.5-5%.
Glyceryl Oleate has a function of "perfuming" in the CosIng database. This just means that the ingredient has some scent character that can contribute to the product's overall smell.
The scent of this ingredient is described as "waxy".
As an ester of oleic acid, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. This is because oleic acid falls into the carbon-chain length that Malassezia can use as a substrate.
Learn more about Glyceryl OleateSodium 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