What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Ingredients Side-by-side
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Salix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Tamarindus Indica Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Acetyl Hexapeptide-51 Amide
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Water, Glycerin, Sodium PCA, Xanthan Gum, Allantoin, Propanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Beta-Glucan, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Tamarindus Indica Fruit Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Acetyl Hexapeptide-51 Amide, Sodium Benzoate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin 14.5%
Humectant
Diethoxyethyl Succinate
Solvent1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Polyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Arginine
Masking
Methionine
Skin ConditioningCysteine
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Houttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Tremella Fuciformis Extract
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Adansonia Digitata Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningSophora Angustifolia Root Extract
Skin ConditioningMalus Domestica Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Punica Granatum Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Prunus Serotina Fruit Extract
MaskingVaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract
AstringentButylene Glycol
Humectant
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningDextrin
AbsorbentDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Glucose
Humectant
Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Water, Glycerin 14.5%, Diethoxyethyl Succinate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Panthenol, Polyglutamic Acid, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Sodium PCA, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Arginine, Methionine, Cysteine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Tremella Fuciformis Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Beta-Glucan, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Adansonia Digitata Seed Extract, Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract, Malus Domestica Fruit Extract, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Prunus Serotina Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract, Butylene Glycol, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Dextrin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Glucose, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Pentylene Glycol, Carbomer, Ethylhexylglycerin, 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.
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
Beta-Glucan is a soluble polysaccharide (a chain of glucose sugars) sourced from the cells walls of oats, baker's yeast, mushrooms, and seaweed.
It's a rare ingredient that pulls double-duty as a heavy-duty hydrator and skin-soothing repair agent.
On the surface, it acts as a humectant that holds water in place and reduces moisture loss for a plumper, smoother feel, while its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties make it a great pick for calming redness or sensitive skin
The more interesting story is underneath:
Despite its large molecular size, oat beta-glucan has been shown to penetrate the epidermis and reach the dermis by slipping between skin cells. Here, it interacts with fibroblasts and macrophages to nudge collagen synthesis and support wound repair.
A small 2005 split-face clinical study of 27 subjects found topical beta-glucan produced measurable reductions in wrinkle depth, height, and roughness after 8 weeks of use.
It is worth noting the trial was small and the penetration testing used frozen, irradiated skin so the anti-aging data is encouraging rather than definitive.
This ingredient gets along with pretty much everything and is typically used around 0.1-1%.
Fungal acne: This ingredient is not a food source for the Malassezia yeast because it is a glucose polysaccharide with no fatty acid or ester component.
Learn more about Beta-GlucanButylene 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 GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinSodium 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
