What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
Glycereth-26
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Methylpropanediol
SolventSorbitol
Humectant
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Gossypium Herbaceum Fruit Water
MaskingDisodium EDTA
Hydrolyzed Gardenia Florida Extract
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Malt Extract
Skin ConditioningAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Viola Tricolor Extract
Skin ProtectingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningMalt Extract
Skin ProtectingZea Mays Kernel Extract
Momordica Charantia Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningAlthaea Rosea Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningHyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hibiscus Syriacus Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Fructan
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Glucose
Humectant
Sodium Citrate
BufferingHouttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Water, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Glycereth-26, Niacinamide, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Methylpropanediol, Sorbitol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Gossypium Herbaceum Fruit Water, Disodium EDTA, Hydrolyzed Gardenia Florida Extract, Hydrolyzed Malt Extract, Adenosine, Hydrolyzed Viola Tricolor Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Malt Extract, Zea Mays Kernel Extract, Momordica Charantia Fruit Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Althaea Rosea Flower Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hibiscus Syriacus Bark Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Fructan, Citric Acid, Glucose, Sodium Citrate, Houttuynia Cordata Extract
Collagen Water
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
C12-14 Alketh-12
EmulsifyingWater
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Zea Mays Kernel Extract
Fructan
Skin ConditioningGlucose
Humectant
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Coptis Japonica Root Extract
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Hippophae Rhamnoides Water
Masking
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
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
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 GlycolDisodium 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 EDTAEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinWe don't have a description for Fructan yet.
Glucose 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 GlycerinHydroxyacetophenone is antioxidant with skin conditioning and soothing properties. It also boosts the efficiency of preservatives.
Though naturally occuring in Norwegian spruce needles, this ingredient is usually synthetically created.
This ingredient is not irritating or sensitizing. Recent research also suggests it may have skin-brightening effects through tyrosinase inhibition.
Learn more about HydroxyacetophenonePropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.Â
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolWater. 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 WaterThis ingredient is also known as corn kernel extract. It is used to improve the texture of products as a binding and bulking agent.
Depending on how it is extract, this ingredient can also contain naturally occurring compounds that are studied for antioxidant activity.
Lab research on specialized corn kernel extracts have shown increase collagen deposition in fibroblast cell models; however, human clinical data is needed to support this.
Learn more about Zea Mays Kernel Extract
