What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTetrasodium EDTA
Methylparaben
Preservative
Ethylparaben
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Behenyl Alcohol, Paraffinum Liquidum, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Sorbitan Stearate, Polysorbate 60, Stearic Acid, Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Carbomer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Xanthan Gum, Tetrasodium EDTA, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Poly(C6-12 Olefin)
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
PPG-10 Methyl Glucose Ether
Skin ConditioningPEG-20 Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingMethylparaben
Preservative
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Triethanolamine
BufferingPropylparaben
Preservative
Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Water, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-12 Olefin), Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, PPG-10 Methyl Glucose Ether, PEG-20 Sorbitan Isostearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Carbomer, Methylparaben, Sodium Hyaluronate, Behenyl Alcohol, Triethanolamine, Propylparaben, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Disodium EDTA, Arachidyl Alcohol, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Behenyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol (these are different from the drying, solvent alcohols).
Fatty Alcohols have hydrating properties and are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product. They are usually derived from natural fats and oils; behenyl alcohol is derived from the fats of vegetable oils.
Emollients help keep your skin soft and hydrated by creating a film that traps moisture in.
In 2000, Behenyl Alcohol was approved by the US as medicine to reduce the duration of cold sores.
Learn more about Behenyl AlcoholCarbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.
Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.
It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.
Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.
A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.
Learn more about CarbomerGlycerin (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 GlycerinMethylparaben is a synthetic preservative and one of the most widely used in the world. It has a simple, but important job: prevent your products from going bad by stopping bacteria, yeast, and mold from growing.
Typical use levels are low, often 0.1-0.3%.
This is also one of the most heavily studied preservatives out there and major regulatory bodies have repeatedly given it the green light.
In 2023, the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) confirmed that this ingredient is safe up to 0.4% on its own, of up to 0.8% when mixed with other paraben esters.
Here's the science behind the noise behind parabens/hormones as well:
Methylparaben shows very weak estrogen-like activity in vitro tests (more than 1,000x weaker than your body's own estradiol). In vivo (live-organism) studies don't support a meaningful endocrine-disrupting effect either.
You get a stronger estrogenic effect from eating tofu, actually.
It's also a low sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon; they usually happen on damage or broken skin.
There is a caveat: France has proposed to formally re-examine its endocrine classification in 2025 so the regulatory conversation isn't fully closed as of yet.
But as it stands today, this ingredient is considered safe at permitted levels.
Learn more about MethylparabenSodium 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
