What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Betula Platyphylla Japonica Juice
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Marmot Oil
Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil
Emollient
Saccharomyces/Camellia Sinensis Extract Ferment Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Citrullus Lanatus Seed Oil
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus/Rice Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningBacillus/Cordyceps Sinensis/Ganoderma Lucidum/Inonotus Obliquus/Lentinus Edodes/Phellinus Linteus/Schizophyllum Commune/Tricholoma Matsutake Extract Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus/Centella Asiatica/Gleditsia Sinensis Thorn/Houttuynia Cordata Extract/Phellodendron Amurense Bark/Polygonum Cuspidatum Root/Prunella Vulgaris/Torilis Japonica Extract Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningMethyl Gluceth-20
Humectant
Phaseolus Angularis Seed Extract
Antioxidant
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Adansonia Digitata Fruit Extract
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Centella Asiatica Extract, Betula Platyphylla Japonica Juice, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Butylene Glycol, Marmot Oil, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Saccharomyces/Camellia Sinensis Extract Ferment Filtrate, Citrullus Lanatus Seed Oil, Propanediol, Saccharide Isomerate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Lactobacillus/Rice Ferment Filtrate, Bacillus/Cordyceps Sinensis/Ganoderma Lucidum/Inonotus Obliquus/Lentinus Edodes/Phellinus Linteus/Schizophyllum Commune/Tricholoma Matsutake Extract Ferment Filtrate, Lactobacillus/Centella Asiatica/Gleditsia Sinensis Thorn/Houttuynia Cordata Extract/Phellodendron Amurense Bark/Polygonum Cuspidatum Root/Prunella Vulgaris/Torilis Japonica Extract Ferment Filtrate, Methyl Gluceth-20, Phaseolus Angularis Seed Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Phospholipids, Adansonia Digitata Fruit Extract, Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum, Xanthan Gum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Diglycerin
Humectant
Saccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Sea Water
HumectantPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Acacia Senegal Gum
MaskingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Algin
Masking
Propanediol
Solvent
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientGlyceryl Undecylenate
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Diglycerin, Saccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Sea Water, Panthenol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phospholipids, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Acacia Senegal Gum, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Beta-Glucan, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Algin, Propanediol, Benzoic Acid, Sorbic Acid, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Hydroxide
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolEthylhexylglycerin 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 EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Phospholipids 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
It’s 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 PropanediolJojoba oil is one of the most well-studied plant-derived ingredients in cosmetics. It is an emollient with a special structure.
Because it is made up of 97-98% wax esters, it closely mirrors the linear monoesters found in human sebum. This makes it skin compatible, non-greasy, and lightweight.
Unlike other plant oils, jojoba wax doesn't easily penetrate skin. It mostly works in the uppermost layers as an emollient. This just means it forms a light barrier on the skin to help retain moisture.
Formulations with jojoba esters up to 90% reduced transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and increased barrier recovery by 81% (outperforming bisabolol at 47%).
Besides barrier support, the science also suggests jojoba to have anti-inflammatory effects and potential applications for skin infections, aging, and wound healing.
Fun fact: Indigenous cultures have used jojoba as a moisturizer and to help treat burns for centuries.
Due to its fatty acid content, Jojoba oil may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Simmondsia Chinensis Seed OilSodium 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
