What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Hamamelis Virginiana Water
Astringent
Glycerin
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningCarrageenan
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Coffea Arabica Seed Extract
Masking
Rosa Canina Fruit Extract
Astringent
Tanacetum Annuum Flower/Leaf/Stem Oil
Masking
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Microcrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentGlucose
Humectant
Lecithin
Emollient
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Glycerin, Water, Carrageenan, Caffeine, Coffea Arabica Seed Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Tanacetum Annuum Flower/Leaf/Stem Oil, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Sodium Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Glucose, Lecithin, Cellulose Gum, Polysorbate 20, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Benzoate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract
HumectantSpinacia Oleracea Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Medicago Sativa Extract
TonicAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Spirulina Platensis Extract
Skin ProtectingPalmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine
Skin Conditioning
Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Lecithin
Emollient
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningMagnesium Chloride
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract, Spinacia Oleracea Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Medicago Sativa Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Spirulina Platensis Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine, Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Lecithin, Ascorbic Acid, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Parfum, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Pentylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Magnesium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate
Reviews
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 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 GlycerinLecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
Learn more about LecithinPalmitoyl Tripeptide-5 is a synthetic signal lipopeptide. This just means it is a three amino acid chain bolted onto a palmitic acid tail so it can slip through the skin's lipid barrier.
This peptide has a "build more, lose less" approach.
It's designed to mimic the collagen-stimulating activity in your skin by copying a snippet of one of your skin's own matrix proteins. This nudges fibroblasts into making more collagen while inhibiting the enzyme that breaks down skin protein.
The manufacturer's in vivo study of 45 volunteers found 1% and 2.5% reduced the appearance of wrinkles by 7% and 12% respectively, after using it twice daily for 84 days.
This is in the expected range for peptides; they're slow and cumulative actives and not overnight fixers.
Typical use levels range from 1-3% and this ingredient gets along with pretty much everything.
On the fungal acne front:
Although palmitic acid sits in the chain length that Malassezia can feed on, this ingredient has it locked in an amine bond. This makes it hard for Malassezia to access as a source of food, and therefore fungal acne safe.
Panthenol 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 PanthenolPhenoxyethanol 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.
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
