What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Undaria Pinnatifida Extract
Skin ConditioningCorallina Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3
Skin Protecting
Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Albizia Julibrissin Bark Extract
MaskingDextran
Darutoside
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Gardenia Florida Extract
Antioxidant
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningLonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Undaria Pinnatifida Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3, Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract, Caffeine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Albizia Julibrissin Bark Extract, Dextran, Darutoside, Hydrolyzed Gardenia Florida Extract, Maltodextrin, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sorbitol
Humectant
Betaine
Humectant
Beta Vulgaris Root Extract
Skin ConditioningFructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Escin
TonicLactic Acid
Buffering
Ruscus Aculeatus Root Extract
Astringent
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Yeast Protein
Skin ConditioningCalendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPotassium Lactate
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingAmmonium Glycyrrhizate
MaskingSodium Citrate
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Sorbitol, Betaine, Beta Vulgaris Root Extract, Fructooligosaccharides, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sodium Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Caffeine, Escin, Lactic Acid, Ruscus Aculeatus Root Extract, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Yeast Protein, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Lactate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Ammonium Glycyrrhizate, Sodium Citrate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caffeine is a naturally occurring plant compound found in coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa pods, and guarana.
As an antioxidant, caffeine protects your skin from free radical damage caused by UV exposure and envionrmnetal stressors.
Early research also shows that caffeine can help calm redness, soothe irritated skin, and support hair growth by stimulating microcirculation in the scalp.
You might have seen eye creams marketing caffeine as a depuffing ingredient. This is because it is a vasoconstrictor meaning it can temporarily constrict blood vessels, though clinical evidence for this specific use is still limited.
Most skincare products contain this ingredient at concentrations between 1-6%. It is able to penetrate skin easily regardless of skin type or thickness.
Just so you know, a very small number of case reports describe caffeine-induced allergy. This ingredient is generally well-tolerated, non-irritating, and non-sensitizing for the majority of people.
Learn more about CaffeineGlycerin (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 GlycerinSodium 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
