What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
C10-18 Triglycerides
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract
Skin ConditioningDiphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Copper Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Hexapeptide-9
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingResveratrol
Antioxidant
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Lysine
Skin ConditioningHistidine
Humectant
Arginine
Masking
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Threonine
Serine
Masking
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Glycine
Buffering
Alanine
Masking
Valine
MaskingMethionine
Skin ConditioningIsoleucine
Skin ConditioningLeucine
Skin ConditioningTyrosine
MaskingPhenylalanine
Masking
Cysteine
Antioxidant
Althaea Rosea Root Extract
HumectantAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Borago Officinalis Seed Oil
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Simethicone
Emollient
Cholesterol
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingOctyldodecanol
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Cyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Parfum
Masking
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, C10-18 Triglycerides, Cetearyl Olivate, Stearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Sorbitan Olivate, Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract, Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ceramide NP, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Copper Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Tripeptide-1, Hexapeptide-9, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Potassium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Resveratrol, Phospholipids, Centella Asiatica Extract, Lysine, Histidine, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Threonine, Serine, Glutamic Acid, Proline, Glycine, Alanine, Valine, Methionine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Tyrosine, Phenylalanine, Cysteine, Althaea Rosea Root Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate, Simethicone, Cholesterol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Octyldodecanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Allantoin, Adenosine, Cyanocobalamin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Parfum, Benzyl Benzoate, Limonene, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningOleic Acid
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Glycoproteins
Skin Conditioning
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Soluble Collagen
Humectant
PEG-40 Stearate
Emulsifying
Ceteareth-20
CleansingSerum Albumin
HumectantStearic Acid
Cleansing
Fibronectin
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Potassium Lactate
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
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
Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlyceryl 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 StearateHyaluronic 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 AcidStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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
