What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Snail Secretion Filtrate
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantCyclopentasiloxane
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantBis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane
EmollientPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingGlycosyl Trehalose
Emulsion StabilisingHydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate
HumectantTriethanolamine
BufferingDimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
EmollientHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Polyacrylate
AbsorbentCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingPortulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialNelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningBetula Platyphylla Japonica Juice
Skin ConditioningTropolone
Skin ConditioningCopper Tripeptide-1
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin ConditioningOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
MaskingHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientPalmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin ConditioningAdenosine
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Snail Secretion Filtrate, Butylene Glycol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Hyaluronate, Carbomer, Glycosyl Trehalose, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Triethanolamine, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethicone, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Polyacrylate, Centella Asiatica Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Betula Platyphylla Japonica Juice, Tropolone, Copper Tripeptide-1, Allantoin, Panthenol, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA
Rosa Centifolia Flower Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantDimethicone
EmollientCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantNiacinamide
SmoothingHydrolyzed Viola Tricolor Extract
Skin ProtectingLaminaria Japonica Extract
Skin ProtectingSaccharomyces Ferment Filtrate
HumectantPortulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Paradisi Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharide Isomerate
HumectantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin ConditioningGlutathione
Arbutin
AntioxidantAdenosine
Skin ConditioningCyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningIsohexadecane
EmollientCyclopentasiloxane
EmollientDimethiconol
EmollientPolysorbate 80
EmulsifyingSodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTriethoxycaprylylsilane
Benzyl Glycol
SolventEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningRaspberry Ketone
MaskingDisodium EDTA
Rosa Centifolia Flower Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Dimethicone, CI 77891, Niacinamide, Hydrolyzed Viola Tricolor Extract, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Citrus Paradisi Fruit Extract, Saccharide Isomerate, Panthenol, Allantoin, Glutathione, Arbutin, Adenosine, Cyanocobalamin, Isohexadecane, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethiconol, Polysorbate 80, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Benzyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Raspberry Ketone, Disodium EDTA
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 a purine nucleoside that your body already makes in every cell. In skincare, it acts mainly as a skin conditioning and anti-aging agent.
The way it works is fairly well mapped out:
Your skin has cells called fibroblasts that build collagen (the stuff that keeps skin firm and smooth). Adenosine basically flips a switch on these cells that tells them to get to work making more collagen and other proteins. These cells slow down on their own as skin ages, so Adenosine helps give them a little nudge to keep going.
The clinical backing is pretty solid too.
A blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 126 women aged 45-65 tested a 0.1% cream twice daily and found real improvements in crow's feet and frown lines using a precise 3D skin-mapping technique; these changes showed up by week 3 and held at 2 months.
A later study using Adenosine-loaded dissolving microneedle patches reported gains in wrinkle depth, dermal density, elasticity, and hydration.
On concentrations, South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has set 0.04% as the approved functional anti-wrinkle level. You'll typically see this ingredient used somewhere in the 0.04-0.1% range since it works at low doses.
This ingredient has been found safe for cosmetics with the data showing no irritation or sensitization.
Overall, this is a great ingredient for any anti-aging routine and has no photosensitizing effect, so it suits both AM and PM use.
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 GlycolCyclopentasiloxane (D5) is a lightweight silicone that mostly acts as an emollient and solvent in cosmetics. Its the reason your products feel silky, fast-spreading, and non-greasy.
Since D5 is volatile, it does its thing and then evaporates off the skin quickly.
The safety profile of this ingredient is reassuring; the US CIR Expert Panel concluded D5 is safe as used in cosmetics and Health Canada concluded that D5 is not harmful to human health or the environment as currently used in cosmetics
There's a study that people mention about D5 in a rat study showing tumors. This study is related to long-term inhalation of high D5 levels.
Regulatory bodies have judged this study to be not applicable in topical skincare since skin absorption of D5 is very low and we're not really inhaling huge amounts of D5.
The only restriction for this ingredient is environmental. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) restricted D5 in wash-off cosmetics at or above 0.1% due to their persistence in water.
Learn more about CyclopentasiloxaneDimethicone 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 DimethiconeDisodium 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 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 GlycerinPanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolThis extract comes from Purslane, a succulent. It has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and hydrating properties.
Purslane is very nutritious. It contains omega-3 fatty acids, NMFs, many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. The vitamins found in purslane include: Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and Vitamin E.
Fun fact: Purslane is a succulent with an extensive habitat. It is used in traditional Korean medicine to treat irritated skin.
Nowadays, purslane is becoming a superfood due to its highly nutritious content.
Learn more about Portulaca Oleracea Extract