What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Xylitol
Humectant
Sodium Citrate
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate
Emulsifying
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingCyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningRosa Damascena Extract
MaskingSodium Dna
Skin Conditioning
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Prunus Mume Fruit Extract
Humectant
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Carica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningVitis Vinifera Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Zea Mays Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCopper Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Glycine
Buffering
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Arginine
Masking
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Xylitol, Sodium Citrate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Allantoin, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Adenosine, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Disodium EDTA, Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Cyanocobalamin, Rosa Damascena Extract, Sodium Dna, Gluconolactone, Prunus Mume Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Zea Mays Leaf Extract, Copper Tripeptide-1, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Glycine, Glutamic Acid, Arginine
Water
Skin ConditioningArginine
Masking
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Lactobacillus/Papaya Fruit Ferment Extract
Abrasive
Moringa Oleifera Leaf Water
Skin ConditioningMoringa Oleifera Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Water
MaskingChlorella Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract
Skin ProtectingScutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Glucose
Humectant
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Arginine, Salicylic Acid, Lactobacillus/Papaya Fruit Ferment Extract, Moringa Oleifera Leaf Water, Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Water, Chlorella Ferment, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Lactic Acid, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Gluconolactone, Maltodextrin, Glucose, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid. This just means our bodies can product a bit on its own, but sometimes needs a little boost from food sources.
It is a part of your skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.
Here's an interesting thing about Arginine: your skin converts it into urea through the Krebs-Henseleit urea cycle. Urea is one of the most effective humectants your skin naturally produces.
A clinical study showed applying 2.5% arginine hydrochloride to atopic dermatitis skin showed significant urea levels in the stratum corneum and improved moisture in just four weeks.
Arginine is also a precursor to nitric oxide; nitric oxide improves microcirculation and supports wound healing and collagen synthesis.
One study found that an amino acid complex containing Arginine reduced skin irritation, improved hydration, and accelerated skin repair in clinical / in-vivo studies.
Arginine itself is an amino acid and not a fatty acid, oil, or ester. On its own, it's not a direct food source for Malassezia, or the yeast that causes fungal acne.
Learn more about ArginineButylene 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 GlycolGluconolactone is a PHA. PHAs are a great gentle alternative to traditional AHAs.
When applied, Gluconolactone has the same affect on skin as AHAs such as lactic acid. It helps dissolve the dead skin cells in the top layer of your skin. This improves texture and brightens the skin.
PHAs are more gentle than AHAs due to their larger structure. They do not penetrate as deeply as AHAs and take a longer time to dissolve dead cells. Studies show PHAs do not cause as much irritation.
Gluconolactone has some interesting properties:
In a 2004 study, Gluconolactone was found to prevent UV damage in mouse skin cells and has not been found to increase sun sensitivity. However, we still recommend wearing SPF daily.
This ingredient is is an created by reacting gluconic acid with an alcohol.
Learn more about GluconolactoneGlycerin (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 GlycerinWater. 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 WaterXylitol is a humectant and prebiotic. It can help with dry skin.
In studies, xylitol has been shown to improve dry skin. It decreased transepidermal water loss, or when water passes through the skin and evaporates. Xylitol also showed to help improve the biomechanical properties of the skin barrier.
The prebiotic property of xylitol may also help reinforce our skin's natural microbiome. Having a healthy microbiome prevents infection by bad bacteria and helps with hydration.
As a humectant, Xylitol helps draw moisture from both the air and from deeper skin layers. This helps keep skin hydrated.
Xylitol is a sugar alcohol and commonly used as a sugar substitute. It is naturally occurring in plants such as strawberries and pumpkin.
Learn more about Xylitol
