La Mer The Moisturizing Cool Gel Cream Versus La Mer The Treatment Lotion

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

• It is a solvent, meaning that it helps to dissolve other ingredients. This also enhances the absorption of the product into one's skin.
• It is a humectant, which means that it helps attract moisture into the skin.
• It helps improve product application.
• It has mild preservative properties.

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.

Citrus Aurantifolia Peel Extract is a fragrance.

Sesame oil comes from sesame seeds. Sesame oil is rich in fatty acids and Vitamin E.

It has antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. The phenolic compounds of this ingredient (including vitamin E) give it these properties.

We don't have a description for Medicago Sativa Seed Powder yet.

Helianthus Annuus Seedcake is an exfoliant and isn't fungal acne safe.

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Seed Meal comes from the Sweet Almond tree. This sweet almond seed meal is the residue from expressing almond oil.

As an abrasive, it can help exfoliate the top layer of skin.

This oil is derived from the leaves of Eucalyptus Globulus, a type of Eucalyptus tree native to Australia.

Though this oil shows antibacterial and antioxidant activity, it is also a known skin-irritant due to its fragrance components.

This is the synthetic salt of gluconic acid, a form of PHA and mild exfoliant.

It is mainly used to stabilize oil and butter formulations from going bad. Sodium gluconate is a humectant, pH regulator, and chelating agent.

This ingredient is a copper salt known for its wound healing properties.

Our bodies use copper to help stabilize our skin's collagen and elastin. Its also an essential for superoxide dismutase, an enzyme with strong antioxidant properties.

This ingredient is calcium salt of gluconic acid. It is a humectant, meaning it attracts water to your skin.

We don't have a description for Magnesium Gluconate yet.

Zinc gluconate has antibacterial and wound healing properties. It is particularly effective against fighting inflammatory acne.

This ingredient is the zinc salt of the PHA gluconic acid. PHAs are gentle cousins to AHAs.

Tocopheryl Succinate is an antioxidant.

Niacin is the other form of B3, with the other being niacinamide. The two have similar skin benefits: reducing inflammation, strengthening the skin barrier, and fading dark spots.

We don't have a description for Sesamum Indicum Seed Powder yet.

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 is a peptide. A common name for this peptide is Argireline.

Argireline has a similar function to botox; it prevents muscle movement and contractions slightly. By preventing muscles from moving, argireline also prohibits the formation of fine lines and wrinkles. However, research is lacking in proving this ingredient to be as effective as botox.

Sucrose is a natural sugar found in fruits, vegetables, and nuts. It is the main constituent of white sugar.

In skincare, sucrose is a humectant and can be a mild exfoliant.

Laminaria Digitata Extract comes from the dark brown seaweed, Laminaria Digitata. It is a potent antioxidant, which also provides soothing and hydrating benefits.

Many studies show the antioxidant components of Laminaria Digitata to help with anti-inflammation.

PEG-8 is a synthetic polymer used as a humectant and solvent.

This ingredient is able to help dissolve active ingredients, including water. This gives it humectant properties.

Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.

Like hyaluronic acid, it is great at holding water and acts as a humectant. This makes it a great skin hydrating ingredient.

Trehalose is a disaccharide made of two glucose molecules (glucose is sugar!). Trehalose is used to help moisturize skin. It also has antioxidant properties.

As a humectant, trehalose helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This helps keep your skin hydrated.

Caffeine is most associated with coffee, tea, and cacao. In skincare, it helps with calming inflammation and is rich in antioxidants.

While caffeine is used to treat cellulite and and dark circles, further studies are needed to prove this. It has been believed to help with these skin conditions due to its ability to dilate blood vessels and increase blood flow.

Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.

This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying - mostly due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue, constricting pores and leaving your skin dried out.

Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.

Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.

Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.

It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.

BHT is a synthetic antioxidant and preservative.

As an antioxidant, it helps your body fight off free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells.

Linalool is a fragrance and helps add scent to products. It's derived from common plants such as cinnamon, mint, citrus, and lavender.

Like Limonene, this ingredient oxidizes when exposed to air. Oxidized linalool can cause allergies and skin sensitivity.

Hydroxycitronellal is a fragrance created from citronellal. The smell of hydroxycitronellal is often described as "citrus-like" or "melon-like".

Hydroxycitronellal is a known EU allergen and may cause irritation when applied to the skin.

Citronellol is used to add fragrance/parfum to a product. It is often derived from plants such as roses. In fact, it can be found in many essential oils including geranium, lavender, neroli, and more. The scent of Citronellol is often described as "fresh, grassy, and citrus-like".

Since the Citronellol molecule is already unstable, Citronellol becomes irritating on the skin when exposed to air.

Geraniol is used to add fragrance/parfum to a product. It is the main component of citronellol. It is a monoterpenoid and an alcohol.

Monoterpenes are naturally found in many parts of different plants.

Limonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.

It's found in the peel oil of citrus fruits and other plants such as lavender and eucalyptus. The scent of limonene is generally described as "sweet citrus".

Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.

This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.

Phenoxyethanol 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.