This barrier-repair serum is formulated around Ectoin and Ceramide NP to strengthen the skin barrier and calm redness.
This calming serum is formulated around Albatrellus Confluens Extract and Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract to calm redness.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Yeast Protein
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Cucumis Sativus Seed Oil
Emollient
Ectoin
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyectoin
Buffering
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8
Skin Conditioning
Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningHippophae Rhamnoides Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Cholesterol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAspergillus/Molasses Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningPhytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Xanthan Gum
Emulsifying1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Glycine Soja Extract
Skin ConditioningLecithin
Emollient
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingPullulan
Dextran
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Silica
Abrasive
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Yeast Protein, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Cucumis Sativus Seed Oil, Ectoin, Hydroxyectoin, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8, Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil, Tocopherol, Cholesterol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer, Aspergillus/Molasses Ferment Filtrate, Phytosphingosine, Adenosine, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Xanthan Gum, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycine Soja Extract, Lecithin, Sclerotium Gum, Pullulan, Dextran, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Disodium EDTA, Silica, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingCrambe Abyssinica Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Arginine
Masking
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningInulin
Skin Conditioning
Vaccinium Vitis-Idaea Seed Oil
Antioxidant
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Albatrellus Confluens Extract
Humectant
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Carboxymethyl Betaglucan
Biosaccharide Gum-4
Skin Conditioning
Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Extract
RefreshingBeta-Carotene
Skin ConditioningXanthophylls
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialCitric Acid
Buffering
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingGeraniol
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Propanediol, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Squalane, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetyl Phosphate, Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil, Arginine, Glycine Soja Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Inulin, Vaccinium Vitis-Idaea Seed Oil, Sclerotium Gum, Tocopherol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Albatrellus Confluens Extract, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Carboxymethyl Betaglucan, Biosaccharide Gum-4, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract, Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Extract, Beta-Carotene, Xanthophylls, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Citric Acid, Lactic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Geraniol, Linalool
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolSclerotium Gum is a natural sugar-based fiber made by fermenting a fungus called Sclerotium rolfsii. It's often used as the plant-friendly alternative for synthetic thickeners like carbomer.
In skincare, it works as a thickener, gel former, and stabilizer that keeps heavy ingredients suspended so a product does not separate.
It is non-ionic and forms a triple helix in solution. This is just a fancy way of saying it builds a smooth, cushiony, and non-sticky gel that feels silkier than many other gums.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it is very sturdy and holds up across a wide pH range (~2-11). It's also good at resisting heat and hydrolysis.
Since it holds water at the skin surface, it can provide some light hydration as well.
Typical use levels are around 0.25-2%; formulators usually use 0.2-0.5% to thicken lotions and up to 2% for a firmer gel base.
This ingredient has been found safe in cosmetics with no meaningful evidence of skin sensitization.
Learn more about Sclerotium GumTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
