What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Betaine
Humectant
Trehalose
Humectant
Glycereth-26
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate
Emulsifying
Sodium Citrate
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Rosa Multiflora Extract
Antioxidant
Chrysanthemum Zawadskii Extract
Skin ConditioningChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingBrassica Oleracea Italica Extract
AstringentTriticum Vulgare Germ Extract
Skin ConditioningMedicago Sativa Extract
TonicDisodium EDTA
Brassica Oleracea Capitata Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate
Skin Conditioning
Raphanus Sativus Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningBrassica Campestris Extract
Skin ConditioningBakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine
HumectantHydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine
Emulsifying
Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Pueraria Lobata Root Extract
HumectantPinus Palustris Leaf Extract
TonicOenothera Biennis Flower Extract
AstringentSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Centella Asiatica Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin Conditioning
Bioflavonoids
Skin ConditioningBeta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Asiaticoside
Antioxidant
Water, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Betaine, Trehalose, Glycereth-26, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Centella Asiatica Extract, Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate, Sodium Citrate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Rosa Multiflora Extract, Chrysanthemum Zawadskii Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Adenosine, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Brassica Oleracea Italica Extract, Triticum Vulgare Germ Extract, Medicago Sativa Extract, Disodium EDTA, Brassica Oleracea Capitata Leaf Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Raphanus Sativus Seed Extract, Brassica Campestris Extract, Bakuchiol, Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Pinus Palustris Leaf Extract, Oenothera Biennis Flower Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Root Extract, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Bioflavonoids, Beta-Glucan, Caprylyl Glycol, Madecassoside, Asiaticoside
Water
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Diethoxyethyl Succinate
Solvent1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Bacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Betaine
Humectant
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingWater, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Diethoxyethyl Succinate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Panthenol, Bacillus Ferment, Sodium Hyaluronate, Betaine, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sorbitan Isostearate, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
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
Betaine is a humectant. Like hyaluronic acid, it helps attract and retain moisture in the skin. It’s known for being gentle and for helping the skin maintain balanced hydration.
Betaine is mainly used to improve hydration and support calmer skin. It helps skin cells regulate water balance because it functions as an osmolyte.
Some studies suggest betaine may support making skin tone more even.
Fun fact: Betaine naturally exists in the skin and the body. In cosmetic products, it can be either plant-derived (most commonly from sugar beets) or synthetically produced for consistency and stability.
Betaine is also known as trimethylglycine.
Learn more about BetaineButylene 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 GlycolThis ingredient is a mild surfactant made by sticking glucose onto a blend of fatty acids.
It does two jobs because it has a sugar head that loves water and a fatty tail that loves oil:
Typical use levels range from 10-20% in cleansers and 15-30% in shower products.
Once on your skin, your skin's glucoside hydrolases breaks it down into glucose and the parent fatty alcohols.
This ingredient is considered fungal acne safe because its fatty alcohol portion sits outside the Malassezia yeast's metabolization range.
Learn more about Caprylyl/Capryl GlucosideEthylhexylglycerin 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 EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinSodium 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 HyaluronateWater. 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
