What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Vitis Vinifera Seed
Skin ConditioningSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Salix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Lysolecithin
EmulsifyingSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingXylitylglucoside
Humectant
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Pullulan
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingXylitol
Humectant
Pinus Densiflora Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Citrus Junos Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningArtemisia Annua Extract
MaskingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Tanacetum Annuum Flower Oil
Masking
Malic Acid
Buffering
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Microcitrus Australasica Fruit Extract
Silica
Abrasive
Salvia Sclarea Oil
Masking
Cymbopogon Citratus Leaf Oil
Masking
Guaiazulene
Antimicrobial
Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Lactobacillus Ferment, Vitis Vinifera Seed, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Lysolecithin, Sclerotium Gum, Xylitylglucoside, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Pullulan, Anhydroxylitol, Xanthan Gum, Xylitol, Pinus Densiflora Leaf Extract, Citrus Junos Fruit Extract, Artemisia Annua Extract, Tocopherol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Tanacetum Annuum Flower Oil, Malic Acid, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Microcitrus Australasica Fruit Extract, Silica, Salvia Sclarea Oil, Cymbopogon Citratus Leaf Oil, Guaiazulene, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Limonene, Linalool, Citral, Geraniol
Water
Skin ConditioningCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Water
MaskingLactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Avena Sativa Kernel Oil
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Aster Tripolium Extract
Skin ProtectingSodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningLysolecithin
EmulsifyingSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingOphiopogon Japonicus Root Extract
Skin ConditioningSchizandra Sphenanthera Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Sodium Anisate
AntimicrobialXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPullulan
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Glycosphingolipids
EmollientGlycolipids
Skin ConditioningBeta-Sitosterol
Emulsion Stabilising
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Silica
Abrasive
Water, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Water, Lactobacillus Ferment, Glycerin, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Avena Sativa Kernel Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Aster Tripolium Extract, Sodium Levulinate, Lysolecithin, Sclerotium Gum, Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract, Schizandra Sphenanthera Fruit Extract, Sodium Anisate, Xanthan Gum, Pullulan, Maltodextrin, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Glycosphingolipids, Glycolipids, Beta-Sitosterol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Lactic Acid, Silica
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinThis ingredient is made when the Lactobacillus bacteria (the same kind that makes yogurt and kimchi) are allowed to ferment a nutrient medium.
As it ferments, it collects lactic acid, peptides, enzymes, and other bioactive metabolites to provide:
A 2023 review noted that probiotic fermentation ingredients like this one can enhance antioxidant capacity, reduce UV-induced oxidative damage, and support barrier function.
One clinical study from the same year showed a Lactobacillus ferment lysate significantly reduced transepidermal water loss and improved skin hydration.
Another review highlighted that topical Lactobacillus-based preparations can improve ceramide levels in the stratum corneum, support barrier integrity, and even help reduce S. aureus colonization in atopic dermatitis.
Why is this so cool?
Basically, your skin's outer layer works as a brick wall; skin cells are bricks and ceramides are the mortar holding it together. Moisture escapes, irritants get in, and your skin gets dry and reactive when ceramide levels drop. On top of that, "bad" skin bacteria S. aureus loves to move in when your barrier is weak to make inflammation and irritation worse.
So Lactobacillus ferment is basically patching the wall and evicting the troublemaker when it boosts ceramide production and help keep S. aureus in check.
On top of all this, it also acts as a mild antimicrobial preservative booster.
Just so you know, most studies focus on specific strains or the lysate form rather than this generic "Lactobacillus Ferment", so results can vary.
Though it's a promising ingredient, it doesn't have decades of robust clinical data behind it just yet.
Lactobacillus Ferment is generally considered safe for fungal-acne prone skin. The key thing to understand is that it comes from bacteria, not yeast or fungus.
Yeast-derived ferments (like galactomyces) have been shown to activate a protein that's linked to Malassezia-related skin issues whereas lactobacillus doesn't have that problem.
Its byproducts also don't contain the types of fatty acids (C11-24 chain lengths) that Malassezia feeds on.
Learn more about Lactobacillus FermentWe don't have a description for Lysolecithin yet.
Pullulan is a low viscosity polysaccharide (a long chain carbohydrate) with binding and film forming properties when dissolved in water. It is used to create a "silicone-like" or silky feel in cosmetics without adding viscosity.
According to a manufacturer, this ingredient's ability to easily dissolves makes it a great carrier for active ingredients.
Due to it being edible and tasteless, you'll likely find this ingredient in breath freshener strips. This ingredient is produced from the starch of the fungus, Aureobasidium pullulans.
Pullulan is stable over a broad-range of pH.
Learn more about PullulanSclerotium Gum is a polysaccharide gum made by the fungus, Sclerotium rolfssii. It is similar to xanthan gum.
In cosmetics, Sclerotium Gum is used to thicken the texture and to help stabilize other ingredients.
As an emulsifier, Sclerotium Gum helps prevent ingredients from separating, such as water and oil.
Learn more about Sclerotium GumSilica, also known as silicon dioxide, is a naturally occurring mineral. It is used as a fine, spherical, and porous powder in cosmetics.
Though it has exfoliant properties, the function of silica varies depending on the product.
The unique structure of silica enhances the spreadability and adds smoothness, making it a great texture enhancer.
It is also used as an active carrier, emulsifier, and mattifier due to its ability to absorb excess oil.
In some products, tiny microneedles called spicules are made from silica or hydrolyzed sponge. When you rub them in, they lightly polish away dead skin layers and enhance the penetration of active ingredients.
Learn more about SilicaThis ingredient is a preservative with antimicrobial properties. It is the sodium salt of dehydroacetic acid.
It is especially effective at preventing bacterial and fungal growth in low concentrations.
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 HyaluronateTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
