What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Arginine
Masking
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Aspergillus Ferment
Skin ConditioningRosa Rubiginosa Seed Oil
Emollient
Porphyra Yezoensis Extract
Skin ConditioningGentiana Lutea Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPalmaria Palmata Extract
Skin ProtectingAlgae Extract
EmollientYeast Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Rice Bran Extract
Skin ConditioningDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Sodium Polyaspartate
HumectantSilk Powder
Skin ConditioningPhospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Trehalose
Humectant
Tourmaline
Jojoba Wax PEG-120 Esters
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Parfum
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
BHT
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Citrate
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Polysorbate 20, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Arginine, Caffeine, Aspergillus Ferment, Rosa Rubiginosa Seed Oil, Porphyra Yezoensis Extract, Gentiana Lutea Root Extract, Palmaria Palmata Extract, Algae Extract, Yeast Extract, Hydrolyzed Rice Bran Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Sodium Polyaspartate, Silk Powder, Phospholipids, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Salicylic Acid, Trehalose, Tourmaline, Jojoba Wax PEG-120 Esters, Potassium Hydroxide, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Parfum, Limonene, BHT, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Chlorphenesin, Sodium Benzoate
Water
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Silica
Abrasive
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Enantia Chlorantha Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningPyrus Malus Fruit Water
MaskingGlycerin
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Honey
Humectant
Calcium Chloride
AstringentPropanediol
Solvent
Lithium Magnesium Sodium Silicate
AbsorbentButylene Glycol
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Coconut Acid
Cleansing
Oleanolic Acid
Skin ConditioningPolyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Parfum
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Alcohol Denat., Silica, Sodium Hyaluronate, Enantia Chlorantha Bark Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Water, Glycerin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Lactobacillus Ferment, Honey, Calcium Chloride, Propanediol, Lithium Magnesium Sodium Silicate, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Coconut Acid, Oleanolic Acid, Polyglutamic Acid, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Parfum, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol
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 GlycolDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 ParfumPentylene 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 GlycolPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Sodium 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
