What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Houttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Hexapeptide-9
Skin Conditioning
Nonapeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Cynanchum Atratum Extract
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Unshiu Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Copper Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
Tromethamine
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Water, 1,2-Hexanediol, Panthenol, Biotin, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Allantoin, Hexapeptide-9, Nonapeptide-1, Cynanchum Atratum Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Citrus Unshiu Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Copper Tripeptide-1, Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Tromethamine, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycereth-26
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Chloride
MaskingPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHydrolyzed Pea Protein
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicTripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
Water, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Glycereth-26, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Propanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Chloride, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Xanthan Gum, Hydrolyzed Pea Protein, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Biotin, Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
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
Biotin is a B vitamin that is naturally produced by our bodies. It is also called Vitamin H.
Our bodies use biotin in the metabolism process. It also helps our bodies use enzymes and move nutrients around. A biotin deficiency can lead to brittle hair and nails.
More research is needed on applying biotin topically. However, taking biotin orally has been shown to help nourish the skin, hair, and nails. They play a role in forming skin-hydrating fatty acids.
Biotin is water-soluble. It can be found in foods such as fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, and meat. Vitamin H stands for "haar" and "haut". These are the German words for hair and skin.
Learn more about BiotinButylene 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 GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinYou might know this ingredient as Matrixyl. It is a synthetic peptide made up of five amino acids attached to a palmitic acid, a fatty acid that helps it absorb into skin more easily.
As a signal peptide, Matrixyl acts like a little messenger. Once it reaches your skin cells, it tells them to ramp up production of collagen, elastin, and other proteins that keep skin looking firm and smooth.
A 12 week clinical study found that a moisturizer containing just 3 ppm of Matrixyl led to a significant improvement in fine-lines and wrinkles. Another study showed an 18% reduction in wrinkle depth, 37% reduction in wrinkle thickness, and a 21% improvement in skin firmness after just 28 days of twice-daily use.
The coolest part is that it works at incredibly low concentrations (like 0.0003%) and it plays well with other actives.
The CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) panel found it to be non-sensitizing across multiple tests and human patch tests also showed no irritation or sensitization.
Fun fact: Matrixyl was originally developed by French company Sederma and Procter & Gamble.
Read more about other common types of peptides here:
Learn more about Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4Tripeptide-1, also known as GHK), is a small, three-amino-acid peptide made up of glycine, histidine, and lysine.
This ingredient is a signal peptide and tell your skin to start producing fresh collagen, elastin, and other key structural proteins. This helps maintain firmness and reduces the look of fine-lines/wrinkles.
GHK is also unique because is also acts as a carrier peptide. It binds to and transports copper ions (forming the complex GHK-Cu). This form has been studied for decades and is known to stimulate wound healing, boost antioxidant defenses, and promote collagen/elastin synthesis.
In-vitro studies show both GHK and GHK-CU increase fibroblast activity that enhances the production of collagen, elastin, fibronectin, and other extracellular matrix components.
Both of these compounds also help balance enzymes that control collagen breakdown.
Human studies (in-vivo) using GHK-Cu creams have reported visible improvements to skin density, elasticity, and wrinkle depth after several weeks of use.
A small clinical study also found topical collagen tripeptide improved wrinkle appearance and skin elasticity in women after four weeks.
While these results are promising, most research is based on GHK-Cu or its derivatives rather than Tripeptide-1 alone (Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 is a famous derivative of GHK). However, the consensus still supports GHK as a potent skin-signaling molecule that can encourage regeneration and maintain youthful looking skin.
Fun fact: GHK is a naturally occurring fragment of type 1 collagen that can be found in human plasma, saliva, and urine.
Learn more about Tripeptide-1Water. 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
