What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Tetrapeptide-17
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Dipeptide-10
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-14
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Oligopeptide
Cleansing
Tripeptide-10 Citrulline
Skin Conditioning
Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3
Skin Protecting
Acetyl Octapeptide-3
Humectant
Acetyl Hexapeptide-30
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Pentapeptide-18
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38
Skin Conditioning
Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Hexapeptide-20
Skin Conditioning
CI 77480
Cosmetic ColorantArginine
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Pseudoalteromonas Ferment Extract
Humectant
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Soy Protein
Humectant
Dextran
Lecithin
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Acrylates Copolymer
Triethanolamine
BufferingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantTin Oxide
Abrasive
Iron Oxides
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Tetrapeptide-17, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-10, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-14, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Tripeptide-10 Citrulline, Tripeptide-1, Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3, Acetyl Octapeptide-3, Acetyl Hexapeptide-30, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Pentapeptide-18, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Acetyl Hexapeptide-20, CI 77480, Arginine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Pseudoalteromonas Ferment Extract, Phospholipids, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Dextran, Lecithin, Butylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Carbomer, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Acrylates Copolymer, Triethanolamine, Polysorbate 20, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Mica, CI 77891, Tin Oxide, Iron Oxides, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCarbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.
Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.
It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.
Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.
A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.
Learn more about CarbomerGlycerin (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 one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolSodium 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
