What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Triethanolamine
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSqualane
Emollient
Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid
BufferingSecale Cereale Seed Extract
Abrasive
Calcium Chloride
AstringentDimethiconol
Emollient
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Palmitoyl Proline
Skin ConditioningAlgin
Masking
Cellulose Acetate Butyrate
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningAgar
MaskingDipropylene Glycol
HumectantCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
T-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Polyphosphorylcholine Glycol Acrylate
Polyvinyl Alcohol
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Methylparaben
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
CI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantLinalool
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Dimethicone, Triethanolamine, Carbomer, Squalane, Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid, Secale Cereale Seed Extract, Calcium Chloride, Dimethiconol, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Palmitoyl Proline, Algin, Cellulose Acetate Butyrate, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Disodium EDTA, Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract, Agar, Dipropylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Pentylene Glycol, T-Butyl Alcohol, Polyphosphorylcholine Glycol Acrylate, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Methylparaben, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, CI 17200, CI 42090, Linalool, Citronellol, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Salicylate, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Isohexadecane
EmollientHydroxypalmitoyl Sphinganine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
Buffering2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDimethiconol
Emollient
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Alcohol Denat., Octyldodecanol, Caprylyl Methicone, Betaine, Niacinamide, Isohexadecane, Hydroxypalmitoyl Sphinganine, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hydroxide, 2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ceramide NP, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Dimethiconol, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer 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 CarbomerChlorphenesin is a synthetic preservative. It helps protect a product against bacteria in order to extend shelf life. In most cases, Chlorphenesin is paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol and caprylyl glycol.
Chlorphenesin is a biocide. This means it is able to help fight the microorganisms on our skin. It is also able to fight odor-releasing bacteria.
Chlorphenesin is soluble in both water and glycerin.
Studies show Chlorphenesin is easily absorbed by our skin. You should speak with a skincare professional if you have concerns about using Chlorphenesin.
Learn more about ChlorphenesinDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeDimethiconol is a silicone that resembles the popular dimethicone. Like other silicones, it is an emollient. Emollients create a thin film on skin to prevent moisture from escaping.
This ingredient helps to create a silky texture and improve spreadability. Due to its high molecular weight and thickness, it is often combined with cyclopentasiloxane.
Glycerin (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 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.
Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolSodium 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
