What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventGlycerin
Humectant2,3-Butanediol
HumectantSaccharomyces/Grape Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningChondrus Crispus Powder
AbrasiveXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCaprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingPhospholipids
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantGlucose
HumectantRosa Damascena Extract
MaskingGluconolactone
Skin ConditioningTremella Fuciformis Extract
HumectantLactic Acid
BufferingLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
AntimicrobialSodium Benzoate
MaskingSolanum Lycopersicum Leaf Cell Culture Extract
Skin ConditioningDecyl Alcohol
EmollientCalcium Gluconate
HumectantCitronellol
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingWater, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, Glycerin, 2,3-Butanediol, Saccharomyces/Grape Ferment Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Chondrus Crispus Powder, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Phospholipids, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glucose, Rosa Damascena Extract, Gluconolactone, Tremella Fuciformis Extract, Lactic Acid, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Benzoate, Solanum Lycopersicum Leaf Cell Culture Extract, Decyl Alcohol, Calcium Gluconate, Citronellol, Geraniol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantMethylsilanol Mannuronate
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeSodium PCA
HumectantDiglycerin
HumectantUrea
BufferingSaccharomyces/Grape Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningLysine
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin ConditioningSorbitol
HumectantPCA
HumectantLactic Acid
BufferingParfum
MaskingBiosaccharide Gum-1
HumectantRhamnose
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantGlucuronic Acid
BufferingGlucose
HumectantPhospholipids
Skin ConditioningSorbic Acid
PreservativeLinalool
PerfumingLimonene
PerfumingCoumarin
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingWater, Glycerin, Methylsilanol Mannuronate, Propanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium PCA, Diglycerin, Urea, Saccharomyces/Grape Ferment Extract, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Lysine, Allantoin, Sorbitol, PCA, Lactic Acid, Parfum, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Rhamnose, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glucuronic Acid, Glucose, Phospholipids, Sorbic Acid, Linalool, Limonene, Coumarin, Geraniol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGeraniol is used to add fragrance/parfum to a product. It is the main component of citronellol. It is a monoterpenoid and an alcohol.
Monoterpenes are naturally found in many parts of different plants.
Geraniol can be found in many essential oils including Rose Oil and Citronella Oil. The scent of Geraniol is often described as "rose-like". Many foods also contain Geraniol for fruit flavoring.
Geraniol can irritate the skin when exposed to air. However, irritation depends on the ability of geraniol to penetrate into the skin. In general, geraniol is not able to penetrate skin easily.
Geraniol is colorless and has low water-solubility. However, it is soluble in common organic solvents.
Like citronellol, it is a natural insect repellent.
2,6-Octadien-1-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, (2E)-
Learn more about GeraniolGlucose is a simple sugar (a monosaccharide). In skincare, it is mostly a humectant and skin conditioning agent.
Mechanistically, it has multiple hydroxyl groups that hydrogen-bond to water. This pulls moisture into the upper layers of skin to keep the surface soft and hydrated.
It's worth knowing sugars are already a natural component of the skin's NMF (natural moisturizing factor) so it's a molecule that your stratum corneum is well-acquainted with.
Just so you know, glucose is hydrophilic (water-loving) and the stratum corneum is a strong barrier to hydrophilic compounds. This just means penetration is slow and most of the action is happening on the surface.
Gram-to-gram, glucose is not as efficient as a humectant as glycerin. This is why you'll likely see glycose paired with stronger humectants for a bigger hydration payoff.
In skincare, glucose is typically derived from corn or other starch sources.
Learn more about GlucoseGlycerin (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 GlycerinLactic Acid is another well-loved alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). It is gentler than glycolic acid but still highly effective.
Its main role is to exfoliate the surface of the skin by loosening the âglueâ that holds dead skin cells together. Shedding those old cells leads to smoother, softer, and more even-toned skin.
Because lactic acid molecules are larger than glycolic acid, they donât penetrate as deeply. This means theyâre less likely to sting or irritate, making it a great choice for beginners or those with sensitive skin.
Like glycolic acid, it can:
Lactic acid also acts as a humectant (like hyaluronic acid). It can draw water into the skin to improve hydration and also plays a role in the skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF) in the form of sodium lactate.
Studies show it can boost ceramide production to strengthen the skin barrier and even help balance the skinâs microbiome.
To get results, choose products with a pH between 3-4.
Lower strengths (5-12%) focus on surface exfoliation; higher strengths (12% and up) can reach deeper in the dermis (deeper, supportive layer) to improve skin texture and firmness over time.
Though it was originally derived from milk, most modern lactic acid used in skincare is vegan. It is made through non-dairy fermentation to create a bio-identical and stable form suitable for all formulations.
When lactic acid shows up near the end of an ingredient list, it usually means the brand added just a tiny amount to adjust the productâs pH.
Legend has it that Cleopatra used to bathe in sour milk to help reduce wrinkles.
Lactic acid is truly a gentle multitasker: it exfoliates, hydrates, strengthens, and brightens. It's a great ingredient for giving your skin a smooth, glowing, and healthy look without the harshness of stronger acids.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Lactic AcidPhospholipids are a family of skin-identical lipids that makeup the structural backbone of every cell membrane in your body.
In cosmetics, they function as skin conditioning agents with emulsifier and surfactant properties. They're typically sourced from soybean or sunflower lecithin (or sometimes egg yolk or marine sources).
Because they mirror the lipids naturally found in the deeper layers of your skin, topical phospholipids help reinforce the lipid matrix, reduce transepidermal water loss, and leave skin feeling conditioned.
They're also used to form liposomes, or tiny self-assembling vesible used to stabilize actives like vitamin c or retinol. This helps these ingredients integrate into the upper layers of skin more easily.
Phospholipids are compatible with everything and the CIR Expert Panel has concluded them to be safe at current use levels.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe since phospholipids contain fatty acid chains in the C11-24 range that the malassezia yeast likes to feed on.
Some types of phospholipids include:
Learn more about PhospholipidsPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.Â
Itâs often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolSaccharomyces/Grape Ferment Extract isn't fungal acne safe.
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 HyaluronateWater. 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