What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Amelanchier Alnifolia Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningUrea
Buffering
Calcium Pantothenate
Trehalose
Humectant
Taurine
BufferingCreatine
Skin ConditioningDiglycerin
Humectant
Acetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Daucus Carota Sativa Juice
Skin ConditioningGlycine Soja Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Lysine Hcl
Skin Conditioning
Alanine
Masking
Arginine
Masking
Histidine Hcl
Skin ConditioningBiosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Serine
Masking
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningLysine
Skin ConditioningPCA
Humectant
Sorbitol
Humectant
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Threonine
Valine
MaskingLeucine
Skin ConditioningGlycine
Buffering
Isoleucine
Skin ConditioningPhenylalanine
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Panthenol, Glyceryl Glucoside, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycerin, Sodium PCA, Amelanchier Alnifolia Fruit Extract, Urea, Calcium Pantothenate, Trehalose, Taurine, Creatine, Diglycerin, Acetyl Glucosamine, Daucus Carota Sativa Juice, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Lysine Hcl, Alanine, Arginine, Histidine Hcl, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Phenoxyethanol, Serine, Allantoin, Proline, Lactic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Lysine, PCA, Sorbitol, Glutamic Acid, Threonine, Valine, Leucine, Glycine, Isoleucine, Phenylalanine, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Trehalose
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Diisopropyl Adipate
EmollientLecithin
Emollient
Acrylic Acid/Acrylamidomethyl Propane Sulfonic Acid Copolymer
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol
Antioxidant
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Serine
Masking
Sodium Carrageenan
Emulsion StabilisingGlucose
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Pea Protein
EmollientSodium Chloride
MaskingAlgin
Masking
Disodium Phosphate
BufferingGlyceryl Polyacrylate
Potassium Phosphate
BufferingPullulan
Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit/Leaf Extract
AstringentSodium Succinate
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phenoxyethanol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Caprylyl Glycol, Trehalose, Urea, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Diisopropyl Adipate, Lecithin, Acrylic Acid/Acrylamidomethyl Propane Sulfonic Acid Copolymer, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Xanthan Gum, Pentylene Glycol, Serine, Sodium Carrageenan, Glucose, Hydrolyzed Pea Protein, Sodium Chloride, Algin, Disodium Phosphate, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Potassium Phosphate, Pullulan, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit/Leaf Extract, Sodium Succinate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Serine is a non-essential amino acid (your body makes it on its own!). It is a major player in 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.
Serine is one of your NMF's most abundant components that works as a skin-identical humectant. Its hydroxyl group grabs onto water molecules to boost hydration without any heaviness or occlusion.
Research on a hydrogel with serine confirmed this serine got delivered to your stratum corneum and demonstrated enhanced skin moisturization.
Interestingly serine also helps your skin produce filaggrin, a protein that keeps your skin barrier strong and used to create collagen.
Learn more about SerineSodium 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 HyaluronateTrehalose is a disaccharide made of two glucose molecules (glucose is sugar!). Trehalose is used to help moisturize skin. It also has antioxidant properties.
As a humectant, trehalose helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This helps keep your skin hydrated.
Due to its antioxidant properties, trehalose may help with signs of aging. Antioxidants help fight free-radical molecules, unstable molecules that may damage your skin.
In medicine, trehalose and hyaluronic acid are used to help treat dry eyes.
Some animals, plants, and bacteria create trehalose as a source of energy to survive freeze or lack of water.
Learn more about TrehaloseUrea is also called carbamide and is the diamide of carbonic acid. In cosmetics, urea is used to hydrate the skin. It also provides exfoliation in higher concentrations.
As a humectant, urea helps draw moisture from the air and from deep within the skin. This helps hydrate your skin. Studies show urea is an effective moisturizer for dry skin conditions. 40% urea is typical in medications for treating eczema and other skin conditions.
Urea has the strongest exfoliation effect in concentrations higher than 10%. It is a keratolytic agent, meaning it breaks down the keratin protein in the top layer of skin. This helps remove dead skin cells and flaking skin.
In medicine, urea has been shown to help increase the potency of other ingredients, such as fungal treatments.
Humans and animals use urea to metabolize nitrogen-containing compounds. Urea is highly soluble in water. Once dissolved, it is neither acidic nor alkaline.
Urea is actually one of the more well-studied and well-supported ingredients out there if you have eczema.
Clinical trials have shown that urea creams in the 5 - 10% range can:
Higher concentrations (20 -30%) can also help with thickened, scaly patches but is also more likely to sting on active flares.
Skip urea if you have rosacea. The AAD (American Academy of Dermatology) lists it alongside alcohol, menthol, and fragrance as a potential irritant for rosacea-prone skin. Urea's keratolytic and penetration-enhancing properties can trigger stinging, burning, and redness.
As always, your skin is unique, so definitely check in with your dermatologist.
Learn more about UreaWater. 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
