What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Sea Water
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Glycereth-26
Humectant
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Soluble Collagen
Humectant
Collagen Extract
Skin Conditioning
Atelocollagen
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Trehalose
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCetearyl Olivate
Tromethamine
BufferingCyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Dimethicone
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Sea Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Alcohol Denat., Niacinamide, Glycereth-26, Adenosine, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Soluble Collagen, Collagen Extract, Atelocollagen, Propanediol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Trehalose, Carbomer, Cetearyl Olivate, Tromethamine, Cyclohexasiloxane, Sorbitan Olivate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Dimethicone, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Lecithin
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Camellia Japonica Seed Oil
Emollient
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Oryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Phyllostachys Pubescens Shoot Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningAspergillus Ferment
Skin ConditioningHyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Cyclodextrin
AbsorbentSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingC12-16 Alcohols
EmollientPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Alteromonas Ferment Extract
Skin Conditioning
Usnea Barbata Extract
Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPulsatilla Koreana Extract
Skin ConditioningBeta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Glycine Soja Sterols
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sodium Phytate
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Linalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Lecithin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Oryza Sativa Extract, Phyllostachys Pubescens Shoot Bark Extract, Aspergillus Ferment, Hyaluronic Acid, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Cyclodextrin, Sclerotium Gum, C12-16 Alcohols, Palmitic Acid, Alteromonas Ferment Extract, Usnea Barbata Extract, Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract, Pulsatilla Koreana Extract, Beta-Glucan, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycine Soja Sterols, Behenyl Alcohol, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Phytate, Tocopherol, Adenosine, Phenethyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Alcohol, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Linalool, Limonene
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
Adenosine is a purine nucleoside that your body already makes in every cell. In skincare, it acts mainly as a skin conditioning and anti-aging agent.
The way it works is fairly well mapped out:
Your skin has cells called fibroblasts that build collagen (the stuff that keeps skin firm and smooth). Adenosine basically flips a switch on these cells that tells them to get to work making more collagen and other proteins. These cells slow down on their own as skin ages, so Adenosine helps give them a little nudge to keep going.
The clinical backing is pretty solid too.
A blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 126 women aged 45-65 tested a 0.1% cream twice daily and found real improvements in crow's feet and frown lines using a precise 3D skin-mapping technique; these changes showed up by week 3 and held at 2 months.
A later study using Adenosine-loaded dissolving microneedle patches reported gains in wrinkle depth, dermal density, elasticity, and hydration.
On concentrations, South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has set 0.04% as the approved functional anti-wrinkle level. You'll typically see this ingredient used somewhere in the 0.04-0.1% range since it works at low doses.
This ingredient has been found safe for cosmetics with the data showing no irritation or sensitization.
Overall, this is a great ingredient for any anti-aging routine and has no photosensitizing effect, so it suits both AM and PM use.
Learn more about AdenosineButylene 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 Acid
