What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycol Stearate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Morus Alba Root Extract
BleachingArctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Safflower Oil/Palm Oil Aminopropanediol Esters
Skin Conditioning
Kojic Acid
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Hydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientPPG-2 Myristyl Ether Propionate
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Squalane
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycogen
HumectantCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
C12-15 Alkyl Lactate
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingBisabolol
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
PPG-5-Laureth-5
EmollientDisodium EDTA
Polyquaternium-11
Parfum
Masking
Water, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycol Stearate, Glycerin, Morus Alba Root Extract, Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Safflower Oil/Palm Oil Aminopropanediol Esters, Kojic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Ceteareth-20, Polysorbate 60, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Hydrogenated Polydecene, PPG-2 Myristyl Ether Propionate, Phenoxyethanol, Squalane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycogen, Caprylyl Glycol, C12-15 Alkyl Lactate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Bisabolol, Citric Acid, PPG-5-Laureth-5, Disodium EDTA, Polyquaternium-11, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Silica
Abrasive
Betaine
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Cetearyl Isononanoate
Emollient
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPerlite
Absorbent
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
Emulsifying
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinSodium 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
