What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Isopentyldiol
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Methylpropanediol
SolventPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Oryza Sativa Hull Extract
MoisturisingCitric Acid
Buffering
Ipomoea Batatas Root Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Phytate
Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract
Astringent
Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine
HumectantHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Pentapeptide-21
Skin Conditioning
S-Pea Oligopeptide-1 Sp
Skin Conditioning
Saccharomyces Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Glucose
Humectant
Tridecapeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Water, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glycerin, Isopentyldiol, Squalane, 1,2-Hexanediol, Methylpropanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Coco-Glucoside, Oryza Sativa Hull Extract, Citric Acid, Ipomoea Batatas Root Extract, Sodium Phytate, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Benzoate, Caprylyl Glycol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Pentapeptide-21, S-Pea Oligopeptide-1 Sp, Saccharomyces Lysate, Tocopherol, Glucose, Tridecapeptide-1
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Isopentyldiol
Humectant
Sodium Citrate
BufferingUrea
Buffering
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Polyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Phytate
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Propanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Isopentyldiol, Sodium Citrate, Urea, Pentylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Polyglutamic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sodium Phytate, Xanthan Gum, Hydroxyacetophenone, Ethylhexylglycerin
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
Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydroxyacetophenone is a small phenolic molecule that earns its place in a formulas as an antioxidant and preservative booster.
As a phenol, it is able to neutralize free radicals to protect both the product and the skin from oxidative stress.
Though it can't kill microbes on its own, it works as a good supporting agent when combined with other preservatives like Phenoxyethanol or 1,2-Hexanediol.
This ingredient naturally occurs as piceol in Norwegian spruce needles (~0.4-1.1% dry weight and in cloudberries). Though the cosmetic-grade material is synthesized for purity and consistency.
You'll usually see it used at low levels and suppliers recommend up to 1% added to a water phase.
Safety testing was done at concentrations like 0.05% in SPF products and 0.5% in a Human Repeated Insult Patch Test. The safety evidence is assuring; this ingredient is safe for cosmetics in current use and also holds safety status as a food flavoring as well.
An honest caveat: the "soothing" and "anti-inflammatory" claims come mostly from supplier marketing rather than published clinical trials. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review's own literature search found no useful efficacy studies on this ingredient.
So the antioxidant and preservative-boosting roles are the well supported ones while the calming benefit is plausible but thinly evidenced.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated, low-irritation multitasker that quietly helps a formula stay fresh and stable.
Learn more about HydroxyacetophenoneIsopentyldiol is a synthetic solvent, humectant, and emollient.
Humectants have the ability to attract and hold water while emollients create a thin film to prevent water from evaporating. This combination keeps your skin and hair soft and hydrated. Plus, isopentyldiol does not leave a sticky feeling behind.
As a surfactant, isopentyldiol is a hydrotrope. Hydrotropes help surfactants (cleansing agents) dissolve into water.
According to the manufacturer, using this ingredient with sorbitol boosts skin hydration and helps close cuticles of damaged hair.
This ingredient is water-soluble.
Learn more about IsopentyldiolPentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolSodium Phytate is the synthetic salt form of phytic acid. Phytic acid is an antioxidant and can be found in plant seeds.
Sodium Phytate is a chelating agent. Chelating agents help prevent metals from binding to water. This helps stabilize the ingredients and the product.
Water. 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
