What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycereth-26
Humectant
PEG/PPG/Polybutylene Glycol-8/5/3 Glycerin
HumectantBetaine
Humectant
Human Adipose Derived Mesenchymal Cell Exosomes
Skin ConditioningGlutathione
Arbutin
Antioxidant
Lecithin
Emollient
Linseed Acid
CleansingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Oligopeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Atelocollagen
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-10 Isostearate
Skin Conditioning
PEG-75
HumectantPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Propanediol
Solvent
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Glycereth-26, PEG/PPG/Polybutylene Glycol-8/5/3 Glycerin, Betaine, Human Adipose Derived Mesenchymal Cell Exosomes, Glutathione, Arbutin, Lecithin, Linseed Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Oligopeptide-1, Ceramide AP, Ceramide NP, Atelocollagen, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Saccharide Isomerate, Polyglyceryl-10 Isostearate, PEG-75, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Disodium EDTA, Propanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
Cerebrosides
EmollientNiacinamide
Smoothing
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Trisodium Ascorbyl Palmitate Phosphate
Antioxidant
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
Antioxidant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Tripropylene Glycol
Antioxidant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Glycine Soja Sterols
Emollient
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningPEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingEtidronic Acid
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Citrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantifolia Oil
Cleansing
Lemongrass Oil
Juniperus Mexicana Oil
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingWater, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Cerebrosides, Niacinamide, Ascorbic Acid, Trisodium Ascorbyl Palmitate Phosphate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Butylene Glycol, Tripropylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Glycine Soja Sterols, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Etidronic Acid, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantifolia Oil, Lemongrass Oil, Juniperus Mexicana Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Carbomer
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCeramide AP is is a skin-identical lipid that mimics what your skin already makes naturally. Ceramides help maintain epidermal integrity and barrier function.
You'll often see this ingredient paired with other ceramides (like ceramide NP), cholesterol, or fatty acids because this combination best mimics the natural lipid mix your skin already has.
The skin's ability to produce ceramides gets disrupted in skin conditions like eczema. This in turn weakens the skin barrier and applying ceramides topically has been shown to replenish what's been lost to restore barrier function.
Most of the studies with Ceramide AP test it as part of a multi-ceramide complex; studies reinforce ceramide AP's role in rebalancing ceramides in skin and improving skin hydration.
Learn more about Ceramide APCeramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
Learn more about Ceramide NPCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidDipotassium Glycyrrhizate comes from licorice root.
Extracts of licorice have demonstrated to have antibacterial, anti‐inflammatory, antiviral, antioxidant properties.
One component, glabridin, has extra potent antioxidant and soothing properties. It has also been found to block pigmentation from UVB rays in guinea pigs.
Licorice Root also contains a flavonoid. Flavonoids are a natural substance from in plants. Flavonoids also have antioxidant properties.
Another component, glycyrrhizin, has been found to have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial benefits. This may make licorice root extract effective at treating acne. However, more research is needed to support this.
Liquiritin is one of the flavone compounds found in licorice. It has been found to help lighten skin by preventing tyrosinase from reacting with tyrosine. When the two react, protein is converted to melanin. Melanin is the substance in your body that gives your features pigmentation.
Licorice root is native to Southern Europe and Asia. It has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to help with respiratory issues.
Learn more about Dipotassium GlycyrrhizateGlycerin (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 GlycerinPeg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil comes from hydrogenated castor oil. It is a solubilizer and emulsifier.
As a solubilizer, it helps dissolve ingredients into a water-based version. It is also an emulsifer. Emulsifier help prevent oils and water from separating. Both these properties help create evenly-spread and uniform products.
Basically, Peg-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil helps hold ingredients together.
Learn more about PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor OilSodium Citrate is the sodium salts of citric acid. In skincare, it is used to alter pH levels and acts as a preservative.
Its main functions are to maintain the pH of a product and neutralize metal ions.
The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome; normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5).
Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.
Learn more about Sodium CitrateWater. 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
