What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingPalmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPectin
Emulsion StabilisingHydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Skin ConditioningSerine
MaskingArginine
MaskingProline
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativePPG-1-PEG-9 Lauryl Glycol Ether
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Water
Skin ConditioningTrehalose
HumectantCetyl Alcohol
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantPersea Gratissima Oil
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientOrbignya Oleifera Seed Oil
EmollientHydrogenated Farnesene
EmollientBrassica Campestris Seed Oil
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
CleansingTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantAcetyl Hexapeptide-8
HumectantTabebuia Impetiginosa Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningHyaluronic Acid
HumectantHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantHydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
HumectantPropanediol
SolventCitric Acid
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningBenzyl Glycol
SolventPolyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
EmulsifyingDehydroacetic Acid
PreservativeRaspberry Ketone
MaskingSodium Lauroyl Glutamate
Sodium Benzoate
MaskingBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingWater, Trehalose, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Persea Gratissima Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Farnesene, Brassica Campestris Seed Oil, Stearic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Tabebuia Impetiginosa Bark Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Propanediol, Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Benzyl Glycol, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Dehydroacetic Acid, Raspberry Ketone, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Sodium Benzoate, Benzyl Alcohol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 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