What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Citrate
BufferingLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3
Skin Protecting
Alanine
Masking
Arbutin
Antioxidant
Arginine
Masking
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicCalcium Gluconate
HumectantCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Dextran
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGluconolactone
Chelating
Glycine
Buffering
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingHistidine
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans
HumectantHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingIsoleucine
Skin ConditioningMagnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17
Skin Conditioning
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
PCA
Humectant
Valine
MaskingPhenylalanine
Masking
Polydextrose
HumectantPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Serine
Masking
Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract
Antimicrobial
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract
AstringentYeast Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium PCA
Humectant
Threonine
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Triethanolamine
BufferingSodium Lactate
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Panthenol, Sodium Citrate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3, Alanine, Arbutin, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Benzoic Acid, Biotin, Calcium Gluconate, Caprylyl Glycol, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Dextran, Ethylhexylglycerin, Gluconolactone, Glycine, Hexylene Glycol, Histidine, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Isoleucine, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, PCA, Valine, Phenylalanine, Polydextrose, Polysorbate 20, Proline, Propylene Glycol, Serine, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract, Yeast Extract, Sodium PCA, Threonine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Triethanolamine, Sodium Lactate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Metabisulfite
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Polyquaternium-51
Skin Conditioning
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Hamamelis Virginiana Extract
Antiseborrhoeic
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Keratin
Humectant
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicArginine
Masking
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Lactobacillus
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Methylparaben
Preservative
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningCynara Scolymus Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Water, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Squalane, Propylene Glycol, Polyquaternium-51, Alcohol, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Biotin, Arginine, Bisabolol, Lactobacillus, Panthenol, Methylparaben, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Cynara Scolymus Leaf Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Allantoin
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid. This just means our bodies can product a bit on its own, but sometimes needs a little boost from food sources.
It is a part of your skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.
Here's an interesting thing about Arginine: your skin converts it into urea through the Krebs-Henseleit urea cycle. Urea is one of the most effective humectants your skin naturally produces.
A clinical study showed applying 2.5% arginine hydrochloride to atopic dermatitis skin showed significant urea levels in the stratum corneum and improved moisture in just four weeks.
Arginine is also a precursor to nitric oxide; nitric oxide improves microcirculation and supports wound healing and collagen synthesis.
One study found that an amino acid complex containing Arginine reduced skin irritation, improved hydration, and accelerated skin repair in clinical / in-vivo studies.
Arginine itself is an amino acid and not a fatty acid, oil, or ester. On its own, it's not a direct food source for Malassezia, or the yeast that causes fungal acne.
Learn more about ArginineBiotin is a B vitamin that is naturally produced by our bodies. It is also called Vitamin H.
Our bodies use biotin in the metabolism process. It also helps our bodies use enzymes and move nutrients around. A biotin deficiency can lead to brittle hair and nails.
More research is needed on applying biotin topically. However, taking biotin orally has been shown to help nourish the skin, hair, and nails. They play a role in forming skin-hydrating fatty acids.
Biotin is water-soluble. It can be found in foods such as fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, and meat. Vitamin H stands for "haar" and "haut". These are the German words for hair and skin.
Learn more about BiotinGlycerin (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 GlycerinPanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolPropylene 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 GlycolWater. 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
