What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Vegetable Oil
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Dimethicone
Emollient
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Sh-Oligopeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
Hexapeptide-9
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Copper Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Sesamum Indicum Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sophora Flavescens Root Extract
Antioxidant
Cimicifuga Racemosa Root Extract
Antimicrobial
Morus Alba Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Phellinus Linteus Extract
Skin ConditioningAngelica Gigas Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPolygonum Multiflorum Root Extract
Skin ConditioningScutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Bifida Ferment Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Lactococcus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicFolic Acid
Skin ConditioningThiamine Hcl
MaskingCyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Arachidonate
Emollient
Glyceryl Linolenate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Arginine
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
BHT
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
EDTA
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Niacinamide, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Vegetable Oil, Glycerin, Adenosine, Propanediol, Dimethicone, Polysorbate 60, PEG-100 Stearate, Retinol, Sh-Oligopeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Hexapeptide-9, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Copper Tripeptide-1, Glycine Soja Oil, Sesamum Indicum Seed Extract, Sophora Flavescens Root Extract, Cimicifuga Racemosa Root Extract, Morus Alba Bark Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Phellinus Linteus Extract, Angelica Gigas Root Extract, Polygonum Multiflorum Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Bifida Ferment Filtrate, Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Squalane, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Bakuchiol, Caffeine, Ceramide NP, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Retinyl Palmitate, Biotin, Folic Acid, Thiamine Hcl, Cyanocobalamin, Glyceryl Arachidonate, Glyceryl Linolenate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Arginine, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Palmitic Acid, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Pentylene Glycol, Polysorbate 20, BHT, Disodium EDTA, EDTA
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 GlycerinHyaluronic acid (HA) is a glycosaminoglycan (basically a long sugar chain) that your skin already makes on its own. In your skin, HA lives in the extracellular matrix and acts as the body's moisture reservoir.
Topically, HA is a humectant that binds water and helps skin look more plump, smooth, and hydrated.
The only catch is that HA isn't a single thing; it actually comes in a wide range of molecular weights (~50 - 2,000+ kDA) and size matters.
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
This is why the best HA serums blend the two sizes together so you get the best of both worlds.
The majority of cosmetic HA is produced by bacterial fermentation, typically using Streptococcus or Bacillus strains. Typical use levels in skincare sit around 0.1-2%.
A clinical study using a 0.2% low-molecular weight HA gel showed improvement in facial seborrheic dermatitis with excellent tolerance.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Learn more about Hyaluronic AcidYou might know this ingredient as Matrixyl. It is a synthetic peptide made up of five amino acids attached to a palmitic acid, a fatty acid that helps it absorb into skin more easily.
As a signal peptide, Matrixyl acts like a little messenger. Once it reaches your skin cells, it tells them to ramp up production of collagen, elastin, and other proteins that keep skin looking firm and smooth.
A 12 week clinical study found that a moisturizer containing just 3 ppm of Matrixyl led to a significant improvement in fine-lines and wrinkles. Another study showed an 18% reduction in wrinkle depth, 37% reduction in wrinkle thickness, and a 21% improvement in skin firmness after just 28 days of twice-daily use.
The coolest part is that it works at incredibly low concentrations (like 0.0003%) and it plays well with other actives.
The CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) panel found it to be non-sensitizing across multiple tests and human patch tests also showed no irritation or sensitization.
Fun fact: Matrixyl was originally developed by French company Sederma and Procter & Gamble.
Read more about other common types of peptides here:
Learn more about Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4Retinol is a gold-standard ingredient for anti-aging. It is a form of Vitamin A and belongs to the class of retinoids that also includes tretinoin.
Why is retinol famous?
It has the most scientific studies backing up its skin benefits out of all the non-prescription ingredients.
Retinol is proven to:
This is why retinol is effective at removing wrinkles, fading dark spots, treating acne, and reducing the appearance of pores.
Studies show retinol is less effective when exposed to UV. Be sure to look for appropriate packaging to keep your retinol potent (similar to Vitamin C).
Using retinol or any retinoids will increase sun-sensitivity in the first few months. Though studies show retinoids increase your skin's natural SPF with continuous use, it is best to always wear sunscreen and sun-protection.
We recommend speaking with a medical professional about using this ingredient during pregnancy.
Retinol may cause irritation in some people, so be sure to patch test. Experts recommend 'ramping up' retinol use: start using this ingredient once a week and work up to using it daily.
Read about Tretinoin
Learn more about RetinolScutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract comes from the Baikal skullcap or Chinese skullcap plant. This plant is native to Northeast Asia and can be found in China, Mongolia, Korea, and Siberia.
In cosmetics, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract provides antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. This is due to the flavonoid composition of Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract.
In Chinese traditional folk medicine, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract is used to help treat lung issues and hypertension.
Learn more about Scutellaria Baicalensis Root ExtractWater. 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
