What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Dimethicone
Emollient
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Glyceryl Polymethacrylate
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Retinol, Phenoxyethanol, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Butylene Glycol, Benzyl Alcohol, Phospholipids, Parfum, Propylene Glycol, Bakuchiol, Bisabolol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Hyaluronic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Sodium Lactate, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Benzyl Salicylate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningHyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Nicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide-76
Skin Conditioning
Algae Extract
EmollientZingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Agastache Mexicana Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningTerminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Pullulan
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingPolyacrylamide
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Hyaluronic Acid, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Nicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide-76, Algae Extract, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Agastache Mexicana Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Bisabolol, Pullulan, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Carbomer, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Laureth-7, Polyacrylamide, Sodium Hydroxide, Chlorphenesin, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Bisabolol is a gentle skin conditioner, antioxidant, and soothing ingredient.
It's primary claim to fame is soothing and research shows topically applied bisabolol can quiet the chemical messengers that cause your skin to become inflamed, helping to sooth any irritation.
A clinical study found that applying 0.5% bisabolol daily for 8 weeks produced an average 9% decrease in skin pigmentation. Researchers found it can also suppress the process that leads to excess melanin production in skin.
In vitro studies found that bisabolol combined with propylene glycol significantly increased skin permeability by increasing lipid fluidity in the stratum corneum.
You'll likely see use concentrations quite low, usually 0.1-0.2%.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated ingredient that works well in formulas designed for sensitive, reactive, or post-procedure skin.
Learn more about BisabololButylene 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 GlycolCarbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerDimethicone 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 DimethiconeGlycerin (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 AcidPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Water. 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
