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. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

Glycerin

Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting

Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.

A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.

As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.

Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.

Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.

In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.

This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Learn more about Glycerin

Butylene Glycol

Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

It is a solvent, meaning that it helps to dissolve other ingredients. This also enhances the absorption of the product into one's skin.
It is a humectant, which means that it helps attract moisture into the skin.
It helps improve product application.
It has mild preservative properties.

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.

Sodium Hyaluronate

Humectant, Skin Conditioning

Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.

Like hyaluronic acid, it is great at holding water and acts as a humectant. This makes it a great skin hydrating ingredient.

Sodium Hyaluronate is naturally occurring in our bodies and is mostly found in eye fluid and joints.

These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:

Learn more about Sodium Hyaluronate

Allantoin

Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Soothing

Allantoin plays a role in soothing and moisturizing the skin. Because of this, it is often added to products with strong active ingredients.

Some studies have shown this ingredient can promote wound healing with higher concentrations.

Allantoin is derived from the comfrey plant but produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.

Learn more about Allantoin

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Skin Conditioning

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 is a peptide. Peptides are building blocks for protein.

This ingredient consists of four amino acids and palmitic acid. These amino acids are arginine, proline, glutamine, and glycine.

This ingredient has many benefits. These benefits include boosting collagen production, fighting inflammation, and reversing UV damage.

By preventing our bodies from producing interleukins, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 helps fight inflammation. An interleukin is a chemical that signals to the body to produce an inflammatory response. Interleukin production is accelerated by UV radiation.

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 tells our body to create more collagen. Collagen is a protein that makes connective tissue. Boosting collagen production leads to a healthier skin barrier. Having a healthy skin barrier means having firm and hydrated skin.

Read more about other common types of peptides here:

Learn more about Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Skin Conditioning

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 is a 3-amino acid peptide. Peptides are building blocks for protein.

This ingredient is a signal peptide, meaning it tells our skin to create collagen. Collagen is a protein that makes connective tissue. Boosting collagen production leads to a healthier skin barrier. Having a healthy skin barrier means having firm and hydrated skin.

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 can help reduce wrinkles and make the skin look more youthful.

Read more about other common types of peptides here:

Learn more about Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Carbomer

Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming

Carbomer is a polymer of acrylic acid. Its main role is to create a gel consistency.

A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.

Ethylhexylglycerin

Skin Conditioning

Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.

You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.

Xanthan Gum

Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

Learn more about Xanthan Gum

Ingredient Ratings

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these products.

Wonder Releaf Centella Serum Unscented

Multi Peptides + Copper Peptide 1%

When to use

PURITO Wonder Releaf Centella Serum Unscented 37 ingredients

The Ordinary Multi Peptides + Copper Peptide 1% 49 ingredients

1,897 Routines

48% use in am

52% use in pm

91% use every day

When to use See routines that use it ->

486 Routines

45% use in am

55% use in pm

82% use every day

When to use See routines that use it ->

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

PURITO Wonder Releaf Centella Serum Unscented 37 ingredients

3.4 /5

from 43 ratings

No Scent (19) Great Value (16) Light (16)

emi 🎀

8 months ago

Review

i really wanted to like this product but my skin got a little itchy and irritated after using it. I was thinking maybe its the centella? but i have been using other products with centella in it and i didnt have any negative reactions to them 🥲🥲 It did make my skin sticky too which was another downside for me

edited : gave this serum another try as i was thinking maybe it was the way i layered Show more

#hydrating

#irritating

#light

#sticky

PURITO

Wonder Releaf Centella Serum Unscented

Thomas VV

11 months ago

Review

I like this a lot for in the evening, it is a combination of Centella, peptide, ceramide, soothing ingredients and 2% Niacinamide for a great all-in-one serum to combine with Retinol or an exfoliant (although AHA will kill the effect of the peptides). It soothes a lot, isn't too thick and no scent of course. The peptide combination used in this serum is Matrixyl 3000, which is great for Show more

#great value

#hydrating

#absorbs well

#no scent

PURITO

Wonder Releaf Centella Serum Unscented

The Ordinary Multi Peptides + Copper Peptide 1% 49 ingredients

5.0 /5

from 13 ratings

Works Well (8) Hydrating (7) Great Value (6)

SkylerMikalson

1 year ago

Review

I've slept on peptides for way too long. Don't make the same mistake!

This product has made my skin look more youthful in a way I didn't know was possible, and has increased my skin's baseline level of hydration in a way that other hydrating products have not.

#great value

#hydrating

#absorbs well

#works well

The Ordinary

Multi Peptides + Copper Peptide 1%

Ela

3 months ago

Review

I love this serum! Copper peptides speed up the healing process of rosacea / eszema / damaged skin barrier etc.
It has also anti aging properties, its hydrates…it pretty much got rid of my “dehydration” within 2 days and calmed down my rosacea within 1 day.
it’s just an all rounder that I certainly implement in my skin routine all the time.
However, it’s important to note: copper peptides break Show more

#great value

#expensive

#hydrating

#light

The Ordinary

Multi Peptides + Copper Peptide 1%