What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Acetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPolysilicone-11
Cetearyl Olivate
Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer
Polyisobutene
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Dimethyl Mea
BufferingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingSorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningSpermidine
Antioxidant
Silica
Abrasive
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAcetyl Tetrapeptide-11
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-9
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Disodium Acetyl Glucosamine Phosphate
Skin ConditioningSodium Glucuronate
HumectantMagnesium Sulfate
Water, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Acetyl Glucosamine, Squalane, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polysilicone-11, Cetearyl Olivate, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Polyisobutene, Sorbitan Olivate, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Polysorbate 20, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Dimethyl Mea, Hydroxyacetophenone, Citric Acid, Ceramide NP, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Sorbitan Oleate, Sodium Gluconate, Spermidine, Silica, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phenoxyethanol, Phytosphingosine, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hyaluronic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-11, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-9, Glycerin, Disodium Acetyl Glucosamine Phosphate, Sodium Glucuronate, Magnesium Sulfate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Isopentyldiol
Humectant
Resveratrol
Antioxidant
Spermidine
Antioxidant
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPalmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
Skin Conditioning
Pentapeptide-18
Skin Conditioning
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Undecane
EmollientTridecane
Perfuming
Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Stearalkonium Hectorite
Gel FormingPropylene Carbonate
SolventCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingErgothioneine
Antioxidant
Tricholoma Matsutake Mycelium Ferment Extract
HumectantTricholoma Matsutake Extract
Skin ConditioningEctoin
Skin Conditioning
Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide
Skin ConditioningLavandula Angustifolia Extract
Skin Conditioning
Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract
Perfuming
Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Glycerin, Isopentyldiol, Resveratrol, Spermidine, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Pentapeptide-18, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Hyaluronic Acid, Squalane, Panthenol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Undecane, Tridecane, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Propylene Carbonate, Carbomer, Ergothioneine, Tricholoma Matsutake Mycelium Ferment Extract, Tricholoma Matsutake Extract, Ectoin, Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide, Lavandula Angustifolia Extract, Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Citric Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycerinHyaluronic acid (HA) is a glycosaminoglycan (basically a long sugar chain) that your skin already makes on its own. In your skin, HA lives in the extracellular matrix and acts as the body's moisture reservoir.
Topically, HA is a humectant that binds water and helps skin look more plump, smooth, and hydrated.
The only catch is that HA isn't a single thing; it actually comes in a wide range of molecular weights (~50 - 2,000+ kDA) and size matters.
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
This is why the best HA serums blend the two sizes together so you get the best of both worlds.
The majority of cosmetic HA is produced by bacterial fermentation, typically using Streptococcus or Bacillus strains. Typical use levels in skincare sit around 0.1-2%.
A clinical study using a 0.2% low-molecular weight HA gel showed improvement in facial seborrheic dermatitis with excellent tolerance.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Learn more about Hyaluronic AcidSpermidine is an antioxidant.
Squalane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).
It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.
This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.
Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.
Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.
No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).
Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.
This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.
Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.
Read more about squalene with an "e".
Though squalane is often called an oil, it’s technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.
The term “oil-free” isn’t regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.
Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.
A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.
The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.
Learn more about SqualaneWater. 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
