What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Betaine
Humectant
Trehalose
Humectant
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Arginine
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium PCA
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Desamido Collagen
Skin Conditioning
Juniperus Communis Fruit Extract
Perfuming
Magnolia Officinalis Bark Extract
Antimicrobial
Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Fructan
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientPropanediol
Solvent
Glyceryl Polymethacrylate
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Sorbitan Laurate
Emulsifying
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Nonoxynol-14
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingBenzyl Glycol
SolventAcetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester
Skin Conditioning
Astaxanthin
Skin Conditioning
Ethyl Hexanediol
SolventHydrolyzed Elastin
EmollientHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Anemarrhena Asphodeloides Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Copper Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Acetyl Octapeptide-3
Humectant
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Hexapeptide-9
Skin Conditioning
Raspberry Ketone
Masking
Palmitoyl Oligopeptide
Cleansing
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Betaine, Trehalose, Hydroxyacetophenone, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Arginine, Carbomer, Sodium PCA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Parfum, Sodium Hyaluronate, Desamido Collagen, Juniperus Communis Fruit Extract, Magnolia Officinalis Bark Extract, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Extract, Fructan, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Propanediol, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sorbitan Laurate, Propylene Glycol, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, 1,2-Hexanediol, Nonoxynol-14, Phenoxyethanol, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Benzyl Glycol, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Astaxanthin, Ethyl Hexanediol, Hydrolyzed Elastin, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Caprylyl Glycol, Anemarrhena Asphodeloides Root Extract, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Copper Tripeptide-1, Hyaluronic Acid, Acetyl Octapeptide-3, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Hexapeptide-9, Raspberry Ketone, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Anastatica Hierochuntica Extract
AstringentWater
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Disodium EDTA
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingMalt Extract
Skin ProtectingAdansonia Digitata Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningAnthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Masking
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract
Skin Conditioning
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Potassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningAnastatica Hierochuntica Extract, Water, 1,2-Hexanediol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Disodium EDTA, Allantoin, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Malt Extract, Adansonia Digitata Seed Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Potassium Hyaluronate
Reviews
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 GlycolGlycerin (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 AcidHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid (HA) that is broken down into lower molecular weight fragments.
It's a humectant that pulls and holds water in the skin to help with hydration, plumpness, and reduce transepidermal water loss.
Because hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid is smaller in size, it can slip past your outermost layer of skin more easily than full-sized HA.
Most formulations will combine all sizes to get the best of both worlds.
Typical usage levels range from 0.01-1%. Any percentage higher than 2% might become goopy and tacky.
Learn more about Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic AcidSodium 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 HyaluronateSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer is a crosslinked version of sodium hyaluronate. This just means it's linked into a 3D mesh network that lets it be more stable and sit on skin as a cohesive, gel-like film rather than sinking into skin.
A 2016 human skin study found crosslinked HA increased epidermal water content by 7.6% over the control group and reduced transepidermal water loss by 27.8%.
A follow-up clinical trial found that a topical crosslinked HA serum applied after fillers, microneedling, or chemical peels was well-tolerated and enhanced skin quality at 14 / 28 days.
More recent research suggests that concentrations as low as 0.03% can act as a penetration enhancer for other skincare actives.
Learn more about Sodium Hyaluronate CrosspolymerWater. 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
