What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHamamelis Virginiana Water
Astringent
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Alum
AstringentSodium PCA
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
DMDM Hydantoin
Preservative
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract
CleansingBorago Officinalis Extract
Emollient
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Saponins
CleansingIodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
CI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Potassium Alum, Sodium PCA, Panthenol, DMDM Hydantoin, Polysorbate 80, Allantoin, Glycerin, Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract, Borago Officinalis Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Saponins, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Parfum, CI 42090
Hamamelis Virginiana Water
Astringent
Water
Skin ConditioningAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningO-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Sorbitol
Humectant
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Fructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Glucosamine Hcl
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Water, Alcohol, Glycerin, Polysorbate 20, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Lactate, Sodium PCA, Sodium Gluconate, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Sorbitol, Proline, Fructooligosaccharides, Glucosamine Hcl, Gluconolactone, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenethyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Potassium Sorbate
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 GlycerinHamamelis Virginiana Water is made by distilling parts of the witch hazel plant. You can also call this ingredient "witch hazel water".
The name 'Hamamelis Virginiana Water' refers to the distillation product used in cosmetics. On the other hand, 'Witch Hazel' refers to the active drug ingredient.
Unless it is specified to be non-alcohol, many types of witch hazel ingredients are distilled in denatured alcohol.
Witch Hazel water is an astringent, anti-inflammatory antioxidant, and antibacterial ingredient.
It contains tannins. Tannins have a drying effect when used on skin by constricting proteins. The constriction also minimizes the appearance of pores.
Both the tannins and fragrance found in witch hazel may be skin-sensitizing.
Witch hazel water gets anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties from its catechin and gallic acid content.
Indigenous groups have used witch hazel to help treat inflammation in North America for centuries.
Learn more about Hamamelis Virginiana WaterSodium PCA is the sodium salt of pyroglutamic acid. It is naturally occurring in our skin's natural moisturizing factors where it works to maintain hydration.
The PCA stands for pyrrolidone carboxylic acid, a natural amino acid derivative.
This ingredient has skin conditioning, anti-inflammatory, and humectant properties. Humectants help hydrate your skin by drawing moisture from the air. This helps keep your skin moisturized.
Learn more about Sodium PCAWater. 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
