What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Glycerin
Humectant
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Water
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTromethamine
BufferingTrehalose
Humectant
Cananga Odorata Flower Oil
Masking
Juniperus Mexicana Oil
Masking
Dextrin
AbsorbentTheobroma Cacao Extract
Skin ConditioningEucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil
Perfuming
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Coriandrum Sativum Fruit Oil
Masking
Biosaccharide Gum-4
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Phosphatidylcholine
EmulsifyingCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Glycine
Buffering
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Serine
Masking
Lysine
Skin ConditioningAlanine
Masking
Arginine
Masking
Threonine
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Glycerin, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Water, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Tromethamine, Trehalose, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Juniperus Mexicana Oil, Dextrin, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Coriandrum Sativum Fruit Oil, Biosaccharide Gum-4, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Phosphatidylcholine, Ceramide NP, Glycine, Glutamic Acid, Serine, Lysine, Alanine, Arginine, Threonine, Proline
Water
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Bran Water
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Methylpropanediol
SolventSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Pantolactone
Humectant
Inulin Lauryl Carbamate
Emulsion StabilisingHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Betaine
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Phytate
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Oryza Sativa Bran Water, Butylene Glycol, Ceramide AP, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycerin, Panthenol, Methylpropanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Allantoin, Beta-Glucan, Ceramide NP, Pantolactone, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Caprylyl Glycol, Betaine, Citric Acid, Sodium Phytate, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin
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 GlycolCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCeramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
Learn more about Ceramide NPEthylhexylglycerin 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
