What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningTheobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Vitis Vinifera
MaskingCanola Oil
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Unsaponifiables
Skin Conditioning
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Propanediol
Solvent
Borago Officinalis Seed Oil
Emollient
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract
AstringentVaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract
AstringentVaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningMalpighia Emarginata Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningLycium Barbarum Fruit Extract
Astringent
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Thermus Thermophillus Ferment
Skin ConditioningRosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil
Perfuming
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Arginine
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Alanine
Masking
Serine
Masking
Valine
MaskingProline
Skin Conditioning
Threonine
Isoleucine
Skin ConditioningHistidine
Humectant
Phenylalanine
Masking
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Carrageenan
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Potassium PCA
Humectant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Silica
Abrasive
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PCA
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Glycerin, Vitis Vinifera, Canola Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Unsaponifiables, Benzyl Alcohol, Propanediol, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Malpighia Emarginata Fruit Extract, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Tocopherol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Thermus Thermophillus Ferment, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Arginine, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Proline, Threonine, Isoleucine, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Aspartic Acid, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Carrageenan, Sodium Lactate, Potassium PCA, Sodium PCA, Silica, Xanthan Gum, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Caprylyl Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate, PCA, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Bis-Phenylpropyl Dimethicone
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Laminaria Saccharina Extract
Skin ProtectingAvena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract
AstringentVitis Vinifera Seed Extract
Antimicrobial
Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Superoxide Dismutase
Antioxidant
Isohexadecane
EmollientPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Bis-Phenylpropyl Dimethicone, Niacinamide, Laminaria Saccharina Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phenyl Trimethicone, Dimethicone, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phospholipids, Superoxide Dismutase, Isohexadecane, Panthenol, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Sodium Carbomer, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Polysorbate 80, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol
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 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.
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
