What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningArtemisia Annua Extract
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Acetic Acid
BufferingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingArginine
Masking
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, 1,2-Hexanediol, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Artemisia Annua Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Ceramide NP, Acetic Acid, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Glyceryl Stearate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Arginine, Octyldodecanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Sorbitan Sesquioleate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningCoptis Japonica Extract
AntimicrobialScutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Scrophularia Buergeriana Extract
Skin ConditioningPiper Methysticum Root Extract
Skin ConditioningGardenia Florida Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAstragalus Membranaceus Root Extract
Emollient
Cnidium Officinale Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPanax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningCurcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Morus Bombycis Leaf Extract
SmoothingLycium Chinense Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Sophora Flavescens Root Extract
Antioxidant
Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTrideceth-10
CleansingDisodium EDTA
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Water, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Beeswax, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Glyceryl Stearate, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Allantoin, Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract, Coptis Japonica Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Scrophularia Buergeriana Extract, Piper Methysticum Root Extract, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Astragalus Membranaceus Root Extract, Cnidium Officinale Root Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Morus Bombycis Leaf Extract, Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract, Sophora Flavescens Root Extract, Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Caprylyl Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Xanthan Gum, Trideceth-10, Disodium EDTA, Tocopherol, 1,2-Hexanediol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
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 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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateSodium 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
