What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientHydrogenated Egg Oil
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Dipentaerythrityl Hexa C5-10 Acid Esters
Methicone
Emollient
N-Stearoyl-Dihydrosphingosine
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Elastin
Skin ConditioningMyristoyl Succinoyl Atelocollagen
Skin Conditioning
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Collagen Powder
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Silk
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Soluble Collagen
Humectant
Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Skin ConditioningAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingIsostearic Acid
Cleansing
Disodium EDTA
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCholesterol
Emollient
Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide
Emulsion Stabilising
BHT
Antioxidant
C23-43 Acid Pentaerythritol Tetraester
EmollientPEG-240/Hdi Copolymer Bis-Decyltetradeceth-20 Ether
StabilisingPotassium Laurate
EmulsifyingDisodium Phosphate
BufferingPotassium Phosphate
BufferingSodium Phosphate
BufferingPetrolatum
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Caramel
Cosmetic ColorantNiacinamide, Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Alcohol, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Hydrogenated Egg Oil, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Dipentaerythrityl Hexa C5-10 Acid Esters, Methicone, N-Stearoyl-Dihydrosphingosine, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Elastin, Myristoyl Succinoyl Atelocollagen, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Collagen Powder, Hydrolyzed Silk, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Soluble Collagen, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Isostearic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Carbomer, Cholesterol, Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide, BHT, C23-43 Acid Pentaerythritol Tetraester, PEG-240/Hdi Copolymer Bis-Decyltetradeceth-20 Ether, Potassium Laurate, Disodium Phosphate, Potassium Phosphate, Sodium Phosphate, Petrolatum, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Parfum, Caramel
Water
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
PEG/PPG/Polybutylene Glycol-8/5/3 Glycerin
HumectantSqualane
Emollient
Triethylhexanoin
MaskingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Agar
MaskingAlpha-Glucan
HumectantArginine
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Dimethicone
Emollient
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantDisodium EDTA
Glucosyl Ceramide
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Preservative
Methylisothiazolinone
Preservative
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Triethyl Citrate
Masking
Water, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, PEG/PPG/Polybutylene Glycol-8/5/3 Glycerin, Squalane, Triethylhexanoin, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Agar, Alpha-Glucan, Arginine, Citric Acid, Dimethicone, Dipropylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Glucosyl Ceramide, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Methylisothiazolinone, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Triethyl Citrate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene 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 GlycolDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid (HA) that is broken down into lower molecular weight fragments.
It's a humectant that pulls and holds water in the skin to help with hydration, plumpness, and reduce transepidermal water loss.
Because hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid is smaller in size, it can slip past your outermost layer of skin more easily than full-sized HA.
Most formulations will combine all sizes to get the best of both worlds.
Typical usage levels range from 0.01-1%. Any percentage higher than 2% might become goopy and tacky.
Learn more about Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic AcidSodium 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
