What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Diatomaceous Earth
AbrasiveGlucose
HumectantAlgin
MaskingCI 77231
Cosmetic ColorantTetrasodium Pyrophosphate
BufferingMagnesium Oxide
AbsorbentSodium Benzoate
MaskingSodium Dehydroacetate
PreservativeWater
Skin ConditioningCarthamus Tinctorius Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningHouttuynia Cordata Powder
Skin ConditioningGardenia Florida Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningDextrin
AbsorbentAllantoin
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningHouttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
BleachingDiatomaceous Earth, Glucose, Algin, CI 77231, Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate, Magnesium Oxide, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Water, Carthamus Tinctorius Flower Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Powder, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Dextrin, Allantoin, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantCamellia Sinensis Leaf Powder
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningAgastache Rugosa Extract
AntimicrobialButyl Avocadate
Skin ConditioningXylitylglucoside
HumectantAnhydroxylitol
HumectantXylitol
HumectantFructan
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 80
EmulsifyingPolyacrylamide
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingArginine
MaskingC13-14 Isoparaffin
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningLaureth-7
EmulsifyingGlucose
HumectantPropyl Gallate
AntioxidantWater, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Powder, 1,2-Hexanediol, Agastache Rugosa Extract, Butyl Avocadate, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Fructan, Polysorbate 80, Polyacrylamide, Carbomer, Arginine, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Xanthan Gum, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Laureth-7, Glucose, Propyl Gallate
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
Glucose 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 GlycerinWater. 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