What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
MaskingButylene Glycol
HumectantHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientPropanediol
SolventCetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientEucalyptus Globulus Leaf Extract
PerfumingPortulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Grandis Seed Extract
AstringentCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningAlanine
MaskingArginine
MaskingSodium Glutamate
MaskingSerine
MaskingProline
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
HumectantGlycosyl Trehalose
Emulsion StabilisingHydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate
HumectantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientBehenyl Alcohol
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPEG-75 Stearate
SurfactantPolysorbate 80
EmulsifyingSodium Polyacrylate Starch
AbsorbentXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGellan Gum
Tocopherol
AntioxidantCitric Acid
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Butylene Glycol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Propanediol, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Citrus Grandis Seed Extract, Ceramide NP, Alanine, Arginine, Sodium Glutamate, Serine, Proline, Sodium Hyaluronate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Glycosyl Trehalose, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Behenyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-75 Stearate, Polysorbate 80, Sodium Polyacrylate Starch, Xanthan Gum, Gellan Gum, Tocopherol, Citric Acid
Tranexamic Acid
AstringentAllantoin
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantMagnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
AntioxidantTocopherol
AntioxidantSaccharomyces/Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningCoix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningΑ-Olefin Oligomer
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantTricaprylin
PerfumingPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Castor Oil
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate Se
EmulsifyingDiglycerin
HumectantBehenyl Alcohol
EmollientSuccinic Acid
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Benzoate
MaskingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEDTA
Butylene Glycol
HumectantTranexamic Acid, Allantoin, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tocopherol, Saccharomyces/Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Ferment Filtrate, Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Extract, Α-Olefin Oligomer, Dipropylene Glycol, Tricaprylin, Pentylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Diglycerin, Behenyl Alcohol, Succinic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Benzoate, Xanthan Gum, EDTA, Butylene Glycol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Behenyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol (these are different from the drying, solvent alcohols).
Fatty Alcohols have hydrating properties and are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product. They are usually derived from natural fats and oils; behenyl alcohol is derived from the fats of vegetable oils.
Emollients help keep your skin soft and hydrated by creating a film that traps moisture in.
In 2000, Behenyl Alcohol was approved by the US as medicine to reduce the duration of cold sores.
Learn more about Behenyl AlcoholButylene 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 GlycolSodium 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 HyaluronateTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolXanthan 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