What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningMethylpropanediol
SolventBeta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Polyquaternium-51
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Ficus Carica Fruit Extract
Humectant
Dioscorea Opposita Root
Skin ConditioningGlycosyl Trehalose
Emulsion StabilisingHydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate
HumectantBetaine
Humectant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium PCA
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingHydrolyzed Corn Starch
HumectantAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sucrose
Humectant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Potassium Laurate
EmulsifyingHydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Tromethamine
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Trisodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
PEG-240/Hdi Copolymer Bis-Decyltetradeceth-20 Ether
StabilisingAscorbyl Propyl Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Water, Methylpropanediol, Beta-Glucan, 1,2-Hexanediol, Butylene Glycol, Polyquaternium-51, Sodium Hyaluronate, Centella Asiatica Extract, Ficus Carica Fruit Extract, Dioscorea Opposita Root, Glycosyl Trehalose, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Betaine, Sodium Chloride, Sodium PCA, Panthenol, Carbomer, Hydrolyzed Corn Starch, Allantoin, Sucrose, Ceramide NP, Tocopherol, Potassium Laurate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Tromethamine, Citric Acid, Trisodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dimethicone, PEG-240/Hdi Copolymer Bis-Decyltetradeceth-20 Ether, Ascorbyl Propyl Hyaluronate
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Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.
Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.
It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.
Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.
A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.
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 GlycerinPanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolPolyquaternium-51 is a polymer salt. It helps hydrate the skin by creating a film on top. This film traps moisture in, keeping your skin soft and hydrated.
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 HyaluronateSodium PCA (the salt of PCA) is one of the most well-established humectants in skincare.
Why is it so special? Your skin already makes it naturally; it's a natural component of your skin's Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF), or the mix of water-binding compounds inside your skin cells that keeps things soft and hydrated.
As a cosmetic ingredient, it grabs water and holds it in the upper layers of skin to smooth roughness and ease dehydration.
There's some clinical support for the NMF approach with a study showing that a cream built to mimic the skin's NMF significantly boosted hydration.
Safety-wise, this ingredient non-irritating, non-comedogenic, and non-phototoxic in testing, with minimal skin absorption.
It also works really well with other hydrators like glycerin or hyaluronic acid, and typical usage is somewhere between 0.2-4%.
Learn more about Sodium PCAWater. 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
