What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Polyurethane-14
Amp-Acrylates Copolymer
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Trehalose
Humectant
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingChamomilla Recutita Extract
Skin Conditioning
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Polyquaternium-51
Skin Conditioning
Triacetin
AntimicrobialLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Water, Alcohol Denat., Butylene Glycol, Polyurethane-14, Amp-Acrylates Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Glycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium PCA, Urea, Polysorbate 20, Sorbic Acid, Propylene Glycol, Trehalose, Hexylene Glycol, Chamomilla Recutita Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Polyquaternium-51, Triacetin, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Hyaluronate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Trehalose
Humectant
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Pantethine
EmollientFaex Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Algae Extract
EmollientRosa Hybrid Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Isoceteth-20
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Amp-Acrylates/Allyl Methacrylate Copolymer
Pvp
Emulsion StabilisingCitric Acid
Buffering
Disodium EDTA
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingBHT
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Caffeine, Trehalose, Lactobacillus Ferment, Pantethine, Faex Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Algae Extract, Rosa Hybrid Flower Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Isoceteth-20, Caprylyl Glycol, Amp-Acrylates/Allyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Pvp, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Hexylene Glycol, BHT, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycolCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl 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 GlycerinHexylene Glycol is a multitasker ingredient that works as a solvent, humectant, emulsifier, viscosity reducer, and preservative booster.
It is able to dissolve both water and oil-soluble ingredients to stabilize tricky actives and make products spread more easily.
As a humectant, it pulls water into the skin. But it's a pretty minor moisturizing ingredient compared to other humectants, like glycerin.
Interestingly, it can act as a mild penetration enhancer. One in vitro study on human skin found a 12% concentration upped the absorption of mometasone furoate (a medicinal ingredient used to treat inflammatory skin conditions) up to 7%.
This ingredient is typically used at levels of 0.1-10% depending on the role it's playing.
A patch test study on eczema patients didn't find a significant increase in irritation versus the control group, but the potential for irritation rises at higher concentrations.
Learn more about Hexylene GlycolPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Sodium 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 HyaluronateTrehalose is a disaccharide made of two glucose molecules (glucose is sugar!). Trehalose is used to help moisturize skin. It also has antioxidant properties.
As a humectant, trehalose helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This helps keep your skin hydrated.
Due to its antioxidant properties, trehalose may help with signs of aging. Antioxidants help fight free-radical molecules, unstable molecules that may damage your skin.
In medicine, trehalose and hyaluronic acid are used to help treat dry eyes.
Some animals, plants, and bacteria create trehalose as a source of energy to survive freeze or lack of water.
Learn more about TrehaloseWater. 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
