What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Trehalose
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Serine
Masking
Algin
Masking
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Pullulan
Lecithin
Emollient
Glyceryl Polyacrylate
C13-15 Alkane
SolventCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Disodium Phosphate
BufferingPotassium Phosphate
BufferingHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum
Skin ConditioningSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingIsohexadecane
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Parfum
Masking
Ethyl Linalool
Masking
Methyldihydrojasmonate
MaskingAmyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Citronellyl Acetate
MaskingPentadecalactone
Masking
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantIonone
Astringent
Tetramethyl Acetyloctahydronaphthalenes
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Trehalose, Urea, Serine, Algin, Pentylene Glycol, Pullulan, Lecithin, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, C13-15 Alkane, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium Phosphate, Potassium Phosphate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Hydroxyacetophenone, Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Sclerotium Gum, Xanthan Gum, Isohexadecane, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polysorbate 60, Parfum, Ethyl Linalool, Methyldihydrojasmonate, Amyl Salicylate, Citronellyl Acetate, Pentadecalactone, Dipropylene Glycol, Ionone, Tetramethyl Acetyloctahydronaphthalenes
Water
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Arginine
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningAspartic Acid
Masking
PCA
Humectant
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Anisate
AntimicrobialGlycine
Buffering
Alanine
Masking
Serine
Masking
Valine
MaskingProline
Skin Conditioning
Threonine
Isoleucine
Skin ConditioningHistidine
Humectant
Phenylalanine
Masking
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycerinPentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolSerine is a non-essential amino acid (your body makes it on its own!). It is a major player in 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.
Serine is one of your NMF's most abundant components that works as a skin-identical humectant. Its hydroxyl group grabs onto water molecules to boost hydration without any heaviness or occlusion.
Research on a hydrogel with serine confirmed this serine got delivered to your stratum corneum and demonstrated enhanced skin moisturization.
Interestingly serine also helps your skin produce filaggrin, a protein that keeps your skin barrier strong and used to create collagen.
Learn more about SerineSodium 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
