What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantHydrolyzed Yeast Extract
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventHydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantHyaluronic Acid
HumectantHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
HumectantCetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingLecithin
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingCellulose
AbsorbentFructose
HumectantGlucose
HumectantInulin
Skin ConditioningRaspberry Ketone
MaskingSodium Citrate
BufferingPolyglucuronic Acid
Skin ConditioningDehydroacetic Acid
PreservativeBenzyl Glycol
SolventEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeSodium Benzoate
MaskingBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingWater, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Yeast Extract, Propanediol, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Lecithin, Xanthan Gum, Cellulose Gum, Cellulose, Fructose, Glucose, Inulin, Raspberry Ketone, Sodium Citrate, Polyglucuronic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Benzyl Alcohol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantPropanediol
SolventCyclopentasiloxane
EmollientDiglycerin
HumectantXylitol
HumectantPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantPEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer
SolventGlyceryl Polymethacrylate
Glycereth-26
HumectantPEG/PPG-14/7 Dimethyl Ether
Skin ConditioningSqualane
EmollientHyaluronic Acid
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
HumectantHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantBetaine
HumectantOctyldodeceth-16
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Glucoside
HumectantPropylene Glycol
HumectantCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
BufferingAcacia Senegal Gum
MaskingGelatin
Panthenol
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTrehalose
HumectantUrea
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAdenosine
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningSodium PCA
HumectantSerine
MaskingGlucose
HumectantAlgin
MaskingDisodium Phosphate
BufferingGlyceryl Polyacrylate
Pullulan
Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans
HumectantPotassium Phosphate
BufferingCI 14700
Cosmetic ColorantBenzyl Glycol
SolventRaspberry Ketone
MaskingWater, Glycerin, Propanediol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Diglycerin, Xylitol, Pentylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Glycereth-26, PEG/PPG-14/7 Dimethyl Ether, Squalane, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Betaine, Octyldodeceth-16, Glyceryl Glucoside, Propylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Acacia Senegal Gum, Gelatin, Panthenol, Xanthan Gum, Trehalose, Urea, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium PCA, Serine, Glucose, Algin, Disodium Phosphate, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Pullulan, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Potassium Phosphate, CI 14700, Benzyl Glycol, Raspberry Ketone
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
We don't have a description for Benzyl Glycol yet.
Ethylhexylglycerin 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 EthylhexylglycerinGlucose is a simple sugar (a monosaccharide). In skincare, it is mostly a humectant and skin conditioning agent.
Mechanistically, it has multiple hydroxyl groups that hydrogen-bond to water. This pulls moisture into the upper layers of skin to keep the surface soft and hydrated.
It's worth knowing sugars are already a natural component of the skin's NMF (natural moisturizing factor) so it's a molecule that your stratum corneum is well-acquainted with.
Just so you know, glucose is hydrophilic (water-loving) and the stratum corneum is a strong barrier to hydrophilic compounds. This just means penetration is slow and most of the action is happening on the surface.
Gram-to-gram, glucose is not as efficient as a humectant as glycerin. This is why you'll likely see glycose paired with stronger humectants for a bigger hydration payoff.
In skincare, glucose is typically derived from corn or other starch sources.
Learn more about GlucoseGlycerin (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 AcidWe don't have a description for Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans yet.
Hydrolyzed 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 AcidPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.Â
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolRaspberry Ketone is a fragrance.
Sodium 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 HyaluronateSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer is a crosslinked version of sodium hyaluronate. This just means it's linked into a 3D mesh network that lets it be more stable and sit on skin as a cohesive, gel-like film rather than sinking into skin.
A 2016 human skin study found crosslinked HA increased epidermal water content by 7.6% over the control group and reduced transepidermal water loss by 27.8%.
A follow-up clinical trial found that a topical crosslinked HA serum applied after fillers, microneedling, or chemical peels was well-tolerated and enhanced skin quality at 14 / 28 days.
More recent research suggests that concentrations as low as 0.03% can act as a penetration enhancer for other skincare actives.
Learn more about Sodium Hyaluronate CrosspolymerWater. 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