What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Olive Oil Lauryl Esters
Emulsion Stabilising
Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate
EmollientDipropylene Glycol
HumectantPlacental Protein
HumectantHydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin)
EmollientNiacinamide
Smoothing
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Cyclomethicone
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTropolone
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Trehalose
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Extensin
Skin ConditioningRubus Idaeus Fruit Extract
AstringentArnica Montana Flower Extract
Masking
Artemisia Absinthium Extract
Skin ConditioningAchillea Millefolium Extract
CleansingGentiana Lutea Root Extract
Skin ConditioningAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Rosa Hybrid Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningPortulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Betula Platyphylla Japonica Juice
Skin Conditioning
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Water, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Lauryl Esters, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Dipropylene Glycol, Placental Protein, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Niacinamide, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Stearic Acid, Cyclomethicone, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tropolone, Dimethicone, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Cyclopentasiloxane, Trehalose, Sodium Hyaluronate, Adenosine, Allantoin, Beta-Glucan, Propylene Glycol, Hydrolyzed Extensin, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Artemisia Absinthium Extract, Achillea Millefolium Extract, Gentiana Lutea Root Extract, Alcohol, Rosa Hybrid Flower Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Betula Platyphylla Japonica Juice, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Disodium EDTA
Snail Secretion Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingEthyl Hexanediol
SolventPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Arginine
Masking
Dimethicone
Emollient
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Snail Secretion Filtrate, Betaine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butylene Glycol, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Carbomer, Ethyl Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Arginine, Dimethicone, Sodium Polyacrylate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Allantoin, Palmitic Acid, Panthenol, Xanthan Gum, Stearic Acid, Adenosine, Water, Myristic Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Adenosine is in every living organism. It is one of four components in nucleic acids that helps store our DNA.
Adenosine has many benefits when used. These benefits include hydrating the skin, smoothing skin, and reducing wrinkles. Once applied, adenosine increases collagen production. It also helps with improving firmness and tissue repair.
Studies have found adenosine may also help with wound healing.
In skincare products, Adenosine is usually derived from yeast.
Learn more about AdenosineAllantoin 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 AllantoinButylene 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 GlycolCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeSodium 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 HyaluronateStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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
