What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Limon Fruit Water
MaskingGlycerin
Humectant
Heptyl Undecylenate
EmollientHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
Antioxidant
Himanthalia Elongata Extract
Skin Protecting
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Arginine
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Magnolia Officinalis Bark Extract
Antimicrobial
Sodium Phytate
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Backhousia Citriodora Leaf Extract
AstringentLactic Acid
Buffering
Citral
Perfuming
Water, Pentylene Glycol, Citrus Limon Fruit Water, Glycerin, Heptyl Undecylenate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Himanthalia Elongata Extract, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol, Arginine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Magnolia Officinalis Bark Extract, Sodium Phytate, Ascorbic Acid, Backhousia Citriodora Leaf Extract, Lactic Acid, Citral
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
C12-16 Alcohols
EmollientPolyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Oryza Sativa Seed Water
Antimicrobial
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sh-Polypeptide-47
Skin Conditioning
Ectoin
Skin Conditioning
Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningCoriolus Versicolor Extract
HumectantInonotus Obliquus Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Pseudoalteromonas Ferment Extract
Humectant
Chlorella Vulgaris Powder
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Sodium Anisate
AntimicrobialCaprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingCitrus Sinensis Peel Oil Expressed
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Jojoba Esters, C12-16 Alcohols, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Oryza Sativa Seed Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Sh-Polypeptide-47, Ectoin, Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Extract, Coriolus Versicolor Extract, Inonotus Obliquus Extract, Saccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate, Pseudoalteromonas Ferment Extract, Chlorella Vulgaris Powder, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lactobacillus Ferment, Propanediol, Tocopherol, Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Palmitic Acid, Sodium Anisate, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Levulinate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Pentylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Phenethyl Alcohol, Citrus Sinensis Peel Oil Expressed
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinHydrogenated Lecithin is a more stable version of lecithin.
It's made by taking lecithin (a phospholipid commonly found in soybeans and egg yolks) and hydrogenating it. This just means the unsaturated fatty acids are turned into saturated ones so they don't go bad as easily.
This ingredient is an emollient, emulsifier, and penetration enhancer. As an emollient, it helps soften and hydrate skin by trapping moisture within. As an emulsifier, it prevents oil and water ingredients from separating.
Hydrogenated Lecithin can form tiny spherical structures made of phospholipid bilayers called liposomes. These liposomes are able to capture compounds inside their structure and deliver them through the skin barrier.
Because phospholipids are a natural component of our cell membranes, this ingredient is inherently compatible with skin.
A 2021 study found lecithin-based surfactants were less harsh and more tolerable comared to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).
Learn more about Hydrogenated LecithinPentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolSodium 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 HyaluronateTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
