What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Olive Oil Lauryl Esters
Emulsion StabilisingCetyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantNeopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate
EmollientCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialAscorbic Acid
AntioxidantCyclopentasiloxane
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
Palmitic Acid
EmollientDimethicone
EmollientAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Stearic Acid
CleansingCyclohexasiloxane
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
EmollientStearyl Alcohol
EmollientCetearyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingCoptis Japonica Extract
AntimicrobialTrehalose
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin ConditioningGardenia Florida Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin ConditioningGlucose
HumectantMaltodextrin
AbsorbentSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Water, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Lauryl Esters, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycerin, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Ascorbic Acid, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Palmitic Acid, Dimethicone, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Stearic Acid, Cyclohexasiloxane, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Coptis Japonica Extract, Trehalose, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Allantoin, Glucose, Maltodextrin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Disodium EDTA
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
EmollientPropanediol
SolventGlycerin
HumectantCyclohexasiloxane
EmollientPEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin ConditioningSqualane
EmollientNiacinamide
SmoothingDiphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin ConditioningDisteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingSodium Chloride
Masking1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningLauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
EmollientPolysilicone-11
Parfum
MaskingDimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAdenosine
Skin ConditioningKaolin
AbrasiveDisodium EDTA
Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantBetaine
HumectantGlucose
HumectantOrchid Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantArginine/Lysine Polypeptide
Skin ConditioningWater, Cyclopentasiloxane, Propanediol, Glycerin, Cyclohexasiloxane, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Squalane, Niacinamide, Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Sodium Chloride, 1,2-Hexanediol, Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Dimethicone, Polysilicone-11, Parfum, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Kaolin, Disodium EDTA, Hyaluronic Acid, Betaine, Glucose, Orchid Extract, Tocopherol, Arginine/Lysine Polypeptide
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
Cyclohexasiloxane is a type of silicone more commonly known as D6. It is an emollient and solvent.
Cyclohexasiloxane is used to evenly distribute ingredients throughout the product. When applied to the skin, Cyclohexasiloxane evaporates and leaves behind a silky feel.
As an emollient, it can help the skin feel soft and hydrated. It is also used to reduce frizz in hair products.
Learn more about CyclohexasiloxaneCyclopentasiloxane, or D5, is a silicone used to improve texture of products and trap moisture.
D5 is considered lightweight and volatile. Volatile means it evaporates quickly after application. Once evaporated, D5 leaves a thin barrier that helps keep skin hydrated.
It is also an emollient. Emollients help soften the skin and prevent water loss. Silicones create a silky texture in products. D5 helps other ingredients become more spreadable.
Studies show D5 is safe to use in skincare products. We recommend speaking with a skincare professional if you have concerns.
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 DimethiconeThis ingredient is a silicone elastomer that works as a texture enhancer, adds a silky slip, and also helps absorb excess oil.
Because it's a large macromolecule that's insoluble in water and chemically inert, it's not expected to penetrate or be absorbed into skin.
Human patch tests with a facial lotion containing 1% of this ingredient found no sensitization.
Learn more about Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone CrosspolymerDisodium 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 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 GlycerinWater. 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