What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Glycereth-26
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Soluble Collagen
Humectant
Collagen Extract
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantCetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientSorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingArginine
Masking
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Jojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantDisodium EDTA
Squalene
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Phytosteryl Macadamiate
Skin Conditioning
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Glycereth-26, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Niacinamide, Cetearyl Alcohol, Adenosine, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Soluble Collagen, Collagen Extract, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Dipropylene Glycol, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Sorbitan Stearate, Palmitic Acid, Hydroxyacetophenone, Stearic Acid, Carbomer, Arginine, Allantoin, Jojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters, Butylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Disodium EDTA, Squalene, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phytosteryl Macadamiate, Phytosterols, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol, Parfum
Water
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Tromethamine
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Dextran
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicGlycerin
Humectant
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3
Skin Protecting
Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract
AstringentGlycine Max Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningSesamum Indicum Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Lecithin
Emollient
Avena Strigosa Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningPueraria Mirifica Root Extract
Skin ConditioningDioscorea Villosa Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Soluble Collagen
Humectant
Gentiana Lutea Root Extract
Skin ConditioningRuscus Aculeatus Root Extract
Astringent
Rehmannia Chinensis Root Extract
Skin ConditioningCornus Officinalis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAlisma Orientale Tuber Extract
Skin ConditioningPaeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract
Skin ProtectingSilk Amino Acids
HumectantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDioscorea Japonica Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Smilax Glabra Root Extract
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Water, 1,2-Hexanediol, Butylene Glycol, Tromethamine, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Dextran, Biotin, Glycerin, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3, Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract, Glycine Max Seed Extract, Sesamum Indicum Seed Extract, Lecithin, Avena Strigosa Seed Extract, Pueraria Mirifica Root Extract, Dioscorea Villosa Root Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Soluble Collagen, Gentiana Lutea Root Extract, Ruscus Aculeatus Root Extract, Rehmannia Chinensis Root Extract, Cornus Officinalis Fruit Extract, Alisma Orientale Tuber Extract, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, Silk Amino Acids, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract, Smilax Glabra Root Extract, Citric Acid
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
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 GlycolCarbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerDisodium 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 EDTAEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinSoluble collagen comes from animals and fish. It has a large molecule size, meaning it doesn't get absorbed into skin.
Instead, it sits on top of skin as a humectant to improve skin hydration. It has incredible water-binding properties and creates a water barrier on skin that prevents evaporation.
This ingredient is incredibly gentle and often used to counter more irritating ingredients.
While our skin does have collagen, this ingredient is not used by the skin for anti-aging. Applying collagen topically has not been linked to helping with collagen loss in skin. All the benefits of soluble collagen are related to hydration.
Fun fact: The name "soluble collagen" refers to its ability to dissolve in water.
Learn more about Soluble CollagenWater. 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
