What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Snail Secretion Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Ethyl Hexanediol
SolventAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingWater
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Arginine
Masking
Copper Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Snail Secretion Filtrate, Betaine, Butylene Glycol, Ethyl Hexanediol, Allantoin, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Polyacrylate, Carbomer, Water, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Adenosine, Arginine, Copper Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Water
Skin ConditioningCetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Bacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Dimethicone
Emollient
Trehalose
Humectant
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Arginine
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Polysilicone-11
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Mentha Haplocalix Extract
MaskingSnail Secretion Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Menthyl Lactate
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Backhousia Citriodora Leaf Oil
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Asiaticoside
Antioxidant
Madecassic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Asiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Water, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Squalane, Centella Asiatica Extract, Bacillus Ferment, 1,2-Hexanediol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Olivate, Dimethicone, Trehalose, Arachidyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Olivate, Arginine, Carbomer, Cyclopentasiloxane, Panthenol, Caprylyl Glycol, Behenyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polysilicone-11, Arachidyl Glucoside, Ethylhexylglycerin, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Allantoin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Mentha Haplocalix Extract, Snail Secretion Filtrate, Menthyl Lactate, Disodium EDTA, Backhousia Citriodora Leaf Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, Asiatic Acid, Beta-Glucan
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
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinArginine is a semi-essential amino acid. This just means our bodies can product a bit on its own, but sometimes needs a little boost from food sources.
It is a part of your skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.
Here's an interesting thing about Arginine: your skin converts it into urea through the Krebs-Henseleit urea cycle. Urea is one of the most effective humectants your skin naturally produces.
A clinical study showed applying 2.5% arginine hydrochloride to atopic dermatitis skin showed significant urea levels in the stratum corneum and improved moisture in just four weeks.
Arginine is also a precursor to nitric oxide; nitric oxide improves microcirculation and supports wound healing and collagen synthesis.
One study found that an amino acid complex containing Arginine reduced skin irritation, improved hydration, and accelerated skin repair in clinical / in-vivo studies.
Arginine itself is an amino acid and not a fatty acid, oil, or ester. On its own, it's not a direct food source for Malassezia, or the yeast that causes fungal acne.
Learn more about ArginineButylene 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 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 CarbomerPanthenol 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 PanthenolPhenoxyethanol 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.
Snail Secretion Filtrate is the excretion from snails. It is an effective moisturizer and promotes collagen production.
A popular nickname for this ingredient is 'Snail Mucin'.
Snail mucin has numerous skin benefits:
On top of this, Snail Secretion Filtrate contains a variety of vitamins and minerals. These include copper peptides, Vitamin A, and Vitamin E. Vitamins A and E are antioxidants. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals that damage skin cells.
Being cruelty-free means a brand does not experiment on animals.
If you're worried about the well-being of the snails, we recommend looking more into the company of the product. Many brands have developed humane methods to collect snail mucin.
There is much debate on this subject. On one hand, this ingredient comes from an animal. On the other hand, many will argue the ingredient is naturally secreted (like a natural by-product) and therefore vegan. If you have reservations, you can look into Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate or Centella Asiatica Extract as alternatives.
Learn more about Snail Secretion FiltrateSodium 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
