What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPhenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Calendula Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Dna
Skin ConditioningPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract
Skin Conditioning
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Amodimethicone
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Juniperus Mexicana Oil
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Serine
Masking
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Leucine
Skin ConditioningAlanine
Masking
Lysine
Skin ConditioningArginine
Masking
Tyrosine
MaskingPhenylalanine
Masking
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Threonine
Valine
MaskingIsoleucine
Skin ConditioningHistidine
Humectant
Cysteine
Antioxidant
Methionine
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Water, Phenyl Trimethicone, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Calendula Officinalis Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Hydrolyzed Dna, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract, Adenosine, Amodimethicone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Juniperus Mexicana Oil, Glycine, Serine, Glutamic Acid, Aspartic Acid, Leucine, Alanine, Lysine, Arginine, Tyrosine, Phenylalanine, Proline, Threonine, Valine, Isoleucine, Histidine, Cysteine, Methionine, Ceramide NP, Cholesterol, Palmitic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningSerine
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Glycine
Buffering
PCA
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Acetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Glucose
Humectant
Histidine
Humectant
Lysine Hcl
Skin Conditioning
Glutamine
Skin ConditioningLeucine
Skin ConditioningTyrosine
MaskingArginine
Masking
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Phenylalanine
Masking
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPotassium PCA
Humectant
Calcium PCA
Humectant
Magnesium PCA
Humectant
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Nitrate
SoothingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Gluconate
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Serine, Glycerin, Lactic Acid, Glycine, PCA, Urea, Acetyl Glucosamine, Glucose, Histidine, Lysine Hcl, Glutamine, Leucine, Tyrosine, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Phenylalanine, Sodium Chloride, Potassium PCA, Calcium PCA, Magnesium PCA, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Maltodextrin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Nitrate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Gluconate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Potassium Sorbate
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
Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid. This just means our bodies can product a bit on its own, but sometimes needs a little boost from food sources.
It is a part of your skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.
Here's an interesting thing about Arginine: your skin converts it into urea through the Krebs-Henseleit urea cycle. Urea is one of the most effective humectants your skin naturally produces.
A clinical study showed applying 2.5% arginine hydrochloride to atopic dermatitis skin showed significant urea levels in the stratum corneum and improved moisture in just four weeks.
Arginine is also a precursor to nitric oxide; nitric oxide improves microcirculation and supports wound healing and collagen synthesis.
One study found that an amino acid complex containing Arginine reduced skin irritation, improved hydration, and accelerated skin repair in clinical / in-vivo studies.
Arginine itself is an amino acid and not a fatty acid, oil, or ester. On its own, it's not a direct food source for Malassezia, or the yeast that causes fungal acne.
Learn more about ArginineAspartic Acid is an amino acid that our bodies produce naturally. It is an antioxidant.
Our body uses Aspartic Acid to help build collagen and elastin. It also plays a role in hydrating skin.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinGlycine is the smallest amino acid and a key building block of collagen. It's part if your skin's Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.
A study from 2022 found that an amino acid complex featuring taurine, arginine, and glycine significantly reduced skin irritation, improved redness, and accelerated the skin repair process.
Histidine is a semi-essential amino acid used by our bodies to create protein. It has humectant and skin conditioning properties.
Our bodies use histidine to create filaggrin - filaggrin is a structural protein that the skin uses in maintaining skin barrier.
One study found histidine and carnosine to be a dynamic duo for your skin:
Oral histidine has also been found to help with filaggrin-deficit skin disorders such as atopic dermatitis.
Why is it considered a semi-essential amino acid? This is because adults are able to create it but children must get it from their diet.
Learn more about HistidineWe don't have a description for Leucine yet.
Phenylalanine is an amino acid. It is a skin soothing and hydrating ingredient. Amino acids play a crucial role in wound healing and skin hydration.
This ingredient is also used to help even out skin tone due to its ability to disrupt the melanin production process.
Two structures of phenylalanine exist: L-phenylalanine and D-phenylalanine. L-phenylalanine is essential, this means our bodies cannot produce it naturally and we must get it from foods. Our bodies convert D-phenylalanine to neurotransmitters, and D-phenylalanine is found in our bodies naturally.
Some foods that contain L-phenylalanine include eggs, soybeans, beef, milk.
Learn more about PhenylalanineSerine is a non-essential amino acid (your body makes it on its own!). It is a major player in your skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.
Serine is one of your NMF's most abundant components that works as a skin-identical humectant. Its hydroxyl group grabs onto water molecules to boost hydration without any heaviness or occlusion.
Research on a hydrogel with serine confirmed this serine got delivered to your stratum corneum and demonstrated enhanced skin moisturization.
Interestingly serine also helps your skin produce filaggrin, a protein that keeps your skin barrier strong and used to create collagen.
Learn more about SerineTyrosine is one of the amino acids used to create protein. It plays a role in melanin production.
A study from 2012 found tyrosine to show promising results in restoring skin volume.
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. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
