What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Hydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Methylpropanediol
SolventNiacinamide
Smoothing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Trehalose
Humectant
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Ficus Carica Fruit Extract
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Squalane
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientNeopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate
EmollientArctium Lappa Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine
Emulsifying
Aspergillus Ferment
Skin ConditioningCarnosine
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate
Skin Conditioning
Lactococcus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Perilla Ocymoides Seed Extract
Antioxidant
Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate
Emulsifying
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Polyquaternium-51
Skin Conditioning
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Polyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Lysolecithin
EmulsifyingHyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Glutamine
Skin ConditioningPotassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningHydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Coral Powder
Abrasive
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPhenylpropanol
Masking
Levulinic Acid
Perfuming
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Cyclopentasiloxane, Methylpropanediol, Niacinamide, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Hydroxyacetophenone, Trehalose, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Centella Asiatica Extract, Ficus Carica Fruit Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Polysorbate 20, Squalane, Parfum, Adenosine, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Arctium Lappa Root Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, Aspergillus Ferment, Carnosine, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Perilla Ocymoides Seed Extract, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Stearic Acid, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Ceramide NP, Polyquaternium-51, Beta-Glucan, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Polyglutamic Acid, Lysolecithin, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Acetyl Glutamine, Potassium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Coral Powder, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Chloride, Phenylpropanol, Levulinic Acid, Sodium Levulinate
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Citrate
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate
Skin ConditioningMagnesium Chloride
Water, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Betaine, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Citrate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate, Magnesium Chloride
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
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 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 AcidHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid (HA) that is broken down into lower molecular weight fragments.
It's a humectant that pulls and holds water in the skin to help with hydration, plumpness, and reduce transepidermal water loss.
Because hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid is smaller in size, it can slip past your outermost layer of skin more easily than full-sized HA.
Most formulations will combine all sizes to get the best of both worlds.
Typical usage levels range from 0.01-1%. Any percentage higher than 2% might become goopy and tacky.
Learn more about Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic AcidSodium 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
