What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Chondrus Crispus Powder
Abrasive
Ceratonia Siliqua Gum
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba Gum
Emulsion StabilisingAgar
MaskingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Glucose
Humectant
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Potassium Chloride
Glycereth-25 PCA Isostearate
Emulsifying
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Disodium EDTA
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Water
AntimicrobialErythritol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Betula Platyphylla Japonica Juice
Skin Conditioning
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Houttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Chondrus Crispus Powder, Ceratonia Siliqua Gum, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba Gum, Agar, Hydroxyacetophenone, Glucose, Chlorphenesin, Potassium Chloride, Glycereth-25 PCA Isostearate, Allantoin, Xanthan Gum, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caprylyl Glycol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Disodium EDTA, Lactobacillus Ferment, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Water, Erythritol, Xylitol, Betula Platyphylla Japonica Juice, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Pentylene Glycol, Madecassoside, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycereth-26
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sea Water
HumectantGlyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Arginine
Masking
Betaine
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTrehalose
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Zeolite
AbsorbentPolyglyceryl-4 Laurate
Emulsifying
Glucose
Humectant
Octyldodeceth-16
EmulsifyingXylitol
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingLavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Sodium Chloride
MaskingDisodium EDTA
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Anastatica Hierochuntica Extract
AstringentSerine
Masking
Histidine
Humectant
Alanine
Masking
Threonine
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingMagnesium Chloride
Calcium Chloride
AstringentParfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, Glycereth-26, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sea Water, Glyceryl Glucoside, Arginine, Betaine, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Trehalose, Panthenol, Allantoin, Xylitylglucoside, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Anhydroxylitol, Zeolite, Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate, Glucose, Octyldodeceth-16, Xylitol, Tocopherol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Glycine, Glutamic Acid, Aspartic Acid, Sodium Polyacrylate, Sodium Chloride, Disodium EDTA, Ceramide NP, Anastatica Hierochuntica Extract, Serine, Histidine, Alanine, Threonine, Proline, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Magnesium Chloride, Calcium Chloride, Parfum
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.Â
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 preservativesÂ
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinDisodium 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 EDTAGlucose is a simple sugar (a monosaccharide). In skincare, it is mostly a humectant and skin conditioning agent.
Mechanistically, it has multiple hydroxyl groups that hydrogen-bond to water. This pulls moisture into the upper layers of skin to keep the surface soft and hydrated.
It's worth knowing sugars are already a natural component of the skin's NMF (natural moisturizing factor) so it's a molecule that your stratum corneum is well-acquainted with.
Just so you know, glucose is hydrophilic (water-loving) and the stratum corneum is a strong barrier to hydrophilic compounds. This just means penetration is slow and most of the action is happening on the surface.
Gram-to-gram, glucose is not as efficient as a humectant as glycerin. This is why you'll likely see glycose paired with stronger humectants for a bigger hydration payoff.
In skincare, glucose is typically derived from corn or other starch sources.
Learn more about GlucoseGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.
This ingredient helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.
This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.
Learn more about HydroxyethylcelluloseTocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan GumXylitol 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
