What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingGlycine Soja Protein
EmulsifyingCaffeine
Skin Conditioning
Isohexadecane
EmollientSodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Carbomer, Glycine Soja Protein, Caffeine, Isohexadecane, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Polysorbate 80, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Sucrose
Humectant
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Hypnea Musciformis Extract
Skin ProtectingTrehalose
Humectant
Algae Extract
EmollientAlteromonas Ferment Extract
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Gelidiella Acerosa Extract
Skin ProtectingChlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Water
MaskingSorbitol
Humectant
Cholesterol
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Sodium Polyaspartate
HumectantAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Hydrolyzed Rice Extract
Skin Conditioning
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantGlyceryl Polymethacrylate
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPEG-7m
Emulsion StabilisingDextrin Palmitate
Emulsifying
Dehydroxanthan Gum
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Pentaerythrityl Adipate/Caprate/Caprylate/Heptanoate
EmollientTetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPEG-8
HumectantSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Citrate
BufferingPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
BHT
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
CI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Phenyl Trimethicone, Sucrose, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Hypnea Musciformis Extract, Trehalose, Algae Extract, Alteromonas Ferment Extract, Acetyl Glucosamine, Gelidiella Acerosa Extract, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water, Sorbitol, Cholesterol, Niacinamide, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Sodium Polyaspartate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Hydrolyzed Rice Extract, Caffeine, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, PEG-7m, Dextrin Palmitate, Dehydroxanthan Gum, Sodium Hyaluronate, Pentaerythrityl Adipate/Caprate/Caprylate/Heptanoate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Carbomer, PEG-8, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Citrate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, BHT, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, CI 42090, CI 19140, CI 77491
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caffeine is a naturally occurring plant compound found in coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa pods, and guarana.
As an antioxidant, caffeine protects your skin from free radical damage caused by UV exposure and envionrmnetal stressors.
Early research also shows that caffeine can help calm redness, soothe irritated skin, and support hair growth by stimulating microcirculation in the scalp.
You might have seen eye creams marketing caffeine as a depuffing ingredient. This is because it is a vasoconstrictor meaning it can temporarily constrict blood vessels, though clinical evidence for this specific use is still limited.
Most skincare products contain this ingredient at concentrations between 1-6%. It is able to penetrate skin easily regardless of skin type or thickness.
Just so you know, a very small number of case reports describe caffeine-induced allergy. This ingredient is generally well-tolerated, non-irritating, and non-sensitizing for the majority of people.
Learn more about CaffeineCarbomer 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 CarbomerDisodium 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 GlycerinSodium 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 HyaluronateSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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
