What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Isohexadecane
EmollientHexyl Laurate
Emollient
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Dimethicone
Emollient
Tromethamine
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Biotinoyl Hexapeptide-2 Amide
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Isohexadecane, Hexyl Laurate, Dipropylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Polysorbate 60, Stearic Acid, Dimethicone, Tromethamine, Carbomer, Parfum, Xanthan Gum, Adenosine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Disodium EDTA, Hyaluronic Acid, Biotinoyl Hexapeptide-2 Amide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexyl Cinnamal
Water
Skin ConditioningMethylpropanediol
SolventGlycerin
Humectant
Betaine
Humectant
Glycereth-26
Humectant
Methyl Gluceth-20
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Helichrysum Italicum Flower Water
Skin ConditioningChondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Saccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingAnhydroxylitol
Humectant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAngelica Archangelica Callus Extract
Skin ProtectingTromethamine
Buffering1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Xylitol
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningOctanediol
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Phytate
Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Eclipta Prostrata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Dextrin
AbsorbentTheobroma Cacao Seed Extract
Antioxidant
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydroxystearic Acid
Cleansing
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Swertia Chirata Extract
HumectantCholeth-24
EmulsifyingCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Water, Methylpropanediol, Glycerin, Betaine, Glycereth-26, Methyl Gluceth-20, Niacinamide, Pentylene Glycol, Helichrysum Italicum Flower Water, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Xylitylglucoside, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Anhydroxylitol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Angelica Archangelica Callus Extract, Tromethamine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Xylitol, Butylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Octanediol, Adenosine, Parfum, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Phytate, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Dextrin, Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract, Beta-Glucan, Tocopherol, Hydroxystearic Acid, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Maltodextrin, Dipropylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Swertia Chirata Extract, Choleth-24, Ceramide NP
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Adenosine is a purine nucleoside that your body already makes in every cell. In skincare, it acts mainly as a skin conditioning and anti-aging agent.
The way it works is fairly well mapped out:
Your skin has cells called fibroblasts that build collagen (the stuff that keeps skin firm and smooth). Adenosine basically flips a switch on these cells that tells them to get to work making more collagen and other proteins. These cells slow down on their own as skin ages, so Adenosine helps give them a little nudge to keep going.
The clinical backing is pretty solid too.
A blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 126 women aged 45-65 tested a 0.1% cream twice daily and found real improvements in crow's feet and frown lines using a precise 3D skin-mapping technique; these changes showed up by week 3 and held at 2 months.
A later study using Adenosine-loaded dissolving microneedle patches reported gains in wrinkle depth, dermal density, elasticity, and hydration.
On concentrations, South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has set 0.04% as the approved functional anti-wrinkle level. You'll typically see this ingredient used somewhere in the 0.04-0.1% range since it works at low doses.
This ingredient has been found safe for cosmetics with the data showing no irritation or sensitization.
Overall, this is a great ingredient for any anti-aging routine and has no photosensitizing effect, so it suits both AM and PM use.
Learn more about AdenosineDipropylene Glycol is a synthetically created humectant, stabilizer, and solvent.
This ingredient helps:
Dipropylene glycol is technically an alcohol, but it belongs to the glycol family (often considered part of the ‘good’ alcohols). This means it is hydrating and gentle on skin unlike drying solvent alcohols like denatured alcohol.
As a masking agent, Dipropylene Glycol can be used to cover the smell of other ingredients. However, it does not have a scent.
Studies show Dipropylene Glycol is considered safe to use in skincare.
Learn more about Dipropylene GlycolEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinParfum 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.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumTromethamine (aka THAM) is a synthetic amino acid that shows up in skincare as a helper ingredient.
It functions as a pH adjuster to help neutralize acidic ingredients and set a formula's pH to the right spot.
This matters a lot because a lot of actives (like vitamin C) needs a specific pH to work well and feel comfortable on skin.
Concentration use ranges from 0.1-1.0% depending on the formula.
Learn more about TromethamineWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
