What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantNiacinamide
SmoothingPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningAcetyl Glucosamine
Skin ConditioningTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic ColorantDimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPanthenol
Skin ConditioningCollagen
MoisturisingPalmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantSodium PEG-7 Olive Oil Carboxylate
EmulsifyingPeucedanum Graveolens Extract
TonicSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantAllantoin
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeDisodium EDTA
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Pentylene Glycol, Acetyl Glucosamine, Titanium Dioxide, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Panthenol, Collagen, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium PEG-7 Olive Oil Carboxylate, Peucedanum Graveolens Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Allantoin, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, Mica
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantNiacinamide
SmoothingPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantPalmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialTremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract
AntioxidantSodium PEG-7 Olive Oil Carboxylate
EmulsifyingHydrolyzed Elastin
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantGlyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantGlycereth-25 PCA Isostearate
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Pvm/Ma Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Citrate
BufferingBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingMethylparaben
PreservativeEthylparaben
PreservativeParfum
MaskingWater, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Pentylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract, Sodium PEG-7 Olive Oil Carboxylate, Hydrolyzed Elastin, Glycerin, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Glycereth-25 PCA Isostearate, Disodium EDTA, Pvm/Ma Copolymer, Sodium Citrate, Benzyl Alcohol, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinNiacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.
And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.
You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.
In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.
If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.
When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.
In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).
Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.
Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.
The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.
Learn more about NiacinamideYou 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.
Due to its palmitic acid base, it may not be fungal acne safe.
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-4Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolPentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolSodium 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 HyaluronateSodium PEG-7 Olive Oil Carboxylate is an oil.
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