What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Alanine
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Threonine
Lidocaine Hcl
Serine
Masking
Arginine
Masking
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Maltose
MaskingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Fructose
Humectant
Betaine
Humectant
PCA
Humectant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Glucose
Humectant
Trehalose
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Synthetic Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Chloride
MaskingT-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
CI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Alanine, Glycine, Threonine, Lidocaine Hcl, Serine, Arginine, Proline, Allantoin, Maltose, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Dimethiconol, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Fructose, Betaine, PCA, Sodium PCA, Urea, Glucose, Trehalose, Sodium Lactate, Glutamic Acid, Synthetic Beeswax, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Sodium Chloride, T-Butyl Alcohol, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Tocopherol, Parfum, CI 42090
Water
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Betaine
Humectant
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Propanediol
Solvent
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Polygonum Aviculare Extract
EmollientAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Lecithin
Emollient
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Phenethyl Alcohol
Masking1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Citrate
BufferingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Caramel
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Betaine, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Octocrylene, Propanediol, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Polygonum Aviculare Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Panthenol, Lecithin, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Carbomer, Propylene Glycol, Potassium Hydroxide, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Phenethyl Alcohol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Citrate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Caramel
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Betaine is a humectant. Like hyaluronic acid, it helps attract and retain moisture in the skin. It’s known for being gentle and for helping the skin maintain balanced hydration.
Betaine is mainly used to improve hydration and support calmer skin. It helps skin cells regulate water balance because it functions as an osmolyte.
Some studies suggest betaine may support making skin tone more even.
Fun fact: Betaine naturally exists in the skin and the body. In cosmetic products, it can be either plant-derived (most commonly from sugar beets) or synthetically produced for consistency and stability.
Betaine is also known as trimethylglycine.
Learn more about BetaineCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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
