What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Glycereth-26
Humectant
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Betaine
Humectant
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate
Skin Conditioning
Juniperus Mexicana Oil
Masking
Rosa Damascena Flower Oil
Masking
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil
Masking
Vetiveria Zizanoides Root Oil
Masking
Guaiazulene
Antimicrobial
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Polyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Water, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Glycereth-26, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Betaine, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Dipropylene Glycol, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Juniperus Mexicana Oil, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil, Vetiveria Zizanoides Root Oil, Guaiazulene, Beta-Glucan, Polyglutamic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate
EmulsifyingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Solanum Lycopersicum Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingLimonene
Perfuming
Sodium Citrate
BufferingCaprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingMelia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Phytate
Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCurcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil
Masking
Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate
Skin Conditioning
T-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningAscorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
Masking
Corallina Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Mentha Arvensis Leaf Oil
Masking
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Solanum Lycopersicum Fruit Extract, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Limonene, Sodium Citrate, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Citric Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Phytate, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, T-Butyl Alcohol, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Ascorbic Acid, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Mentha Arvensis Leaf Oil
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.
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
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer is a synthetically created polymer. It's used as a film-forming agent and used to thicken the consistency of products.
Think of it as a supportive ingredient that helps your gel-creams feel silky, "cloud cream-like", and spread evenly without being greasy.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel evaluated it (along with 22 other acryloyldimethyltaurate polymers) and concluded it's:
Due to its large molecular size, it sits on the surface of skin rather than penetrating it.
Learn more about Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp CopolymerButylene 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 GlycolThis ingredient is a mild surfactant made by sticking glucose onto a blend of fatty acids.
It does two jobs because it has a sugar head that loves water and a fatty tail that loves oil:
Typical use levels range from 10-20% in cleansers and 15-30% in shower products.
Once on your skin, your skin's glucoside hydrolases breaks it down into glucose and the parent fatty alcohols.
This ingredient is considered fungal acne safe because its fatty alcohol portion sits outside the Malassezia yeast's metabolization range.
Learn more about Caprylyl/Capryl GlucosideGlycerin (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 GlycerinPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate is a cleansing agent and emulsifier.
It rounds up dirt, oil, and grime, so they can be rinsed off easily as a cleanser.
On the emulsifier side, it keeps your formula smooth and well-mixed by playing peacekeeper for ingredients that don't naturally get along (like oil and water).
Because it has a C12 (lauric acid) fatty acid chain, this ingredient can potentially feed the Malassezia yeast that causes fungal acne.
The Malassezia yeast prefers esters with C11-C24 fatty acids If you're prone to flare-ups, you might want to patch-test or skip this one.
This ingredient is an ester of lauric acid and Polyglycerin-10.
Learn more about Polyglyceryl-10 LauratePolyglyceryl-10 Oleate is made by combining ten units of glycerin with oleic acid.
According to a manufacturer, it is a low-irritation and hydrophilic (water loving) skin conditioning agent. It also improves the sensory feel and texture of a product.
Fungal acne note:
Since this ingredient is made from oleic acid, it might not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast survives by eating certain fats, including oleic acid.
However, it should be noted this oleic acid is chemically bound to a large polyglycerol molecule, so it might not trigger fungal acne for everyone.
Learn more about Polyglyceryl-10 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
