What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate
Humectant
Betaine
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Hamamelis Virginiana Extract
Antiseborrhoeic
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate, Betaine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Panthenol, Allantoin, Polysorbate 20, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Disodium EDTA, Ascorbic Acid, Hydrolyzed Collagen
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Disiloxane
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
Arginine
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Dehydroxanthan Gum
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus/Soymilk Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus/Rye Flour Ferment
Skin ConditioningBacillus
Skin ConditioningGlycine Soja Extract
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Thiamine Hcl
MaskingRiboflavin
Cosmetic ColorantNiacinamide
Smoothing
Pantothenic Acid
Skin ConditioningPyridoxine
Skin ConditioningFolic Acid
Skin ConditioningCyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningOctyldodecanol
Emollient
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Citronellol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate, Disiloxane, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, PEG-100 Stearate, Arginine, Carbomer, Caprylyl Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Glycerin, Panthenol, Dehydroxanthan Gum, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Lactobacillus/Soymilk Ferment Filtrate, Lactobacillus/Rye Flour Ferment, Bacillus, Glycine Soja Extract, Propanediol, Thiamine Hcl, Riboflavin, Niacinamide, Pantothenic Acid, Pyridoxine, Folic Acid, Cyanocobalamin, Octyldodecanol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ceramide NP, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Parfum, Citronellol, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal
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
Disodium 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 EDTAGlycerin (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 AcidPanthenol 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 PanthenolSodium 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 Water
