What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantDecyl Cocoate
EmollientNiacinamide
SmoothingPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientC12-16 Alcohols
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningSea Water
HumectantLactobacillus/Sodium Hyaluronate Ferment Filtrate
EmollientHyaluronic Acid
HumectantHydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin ConditioningSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
HumectantHydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
HumectantPotassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningLupinus Albus Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningMoringa Oleifera Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningXylitol
HumectantPolymethylsilsesquioxane
Hydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingHydrolyzed Hibiscus Esculentus Extract
Skin ConditioningTromethamine
BufferingPvp
Emulsion StabilisingAllantoin
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantHexylglycerin
HumectantAdenosine
Skin ConditioningSodium Phytate
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
EmollientAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPalmitic Acid
EmollientTocopherol
AntioxidantWater, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Decyl Cocoate, Niacinamide, Pentylene Glycol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, C12-16 Alcohols, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sea Water, Lactobacillus/Sodium Hyaluronate Ferment Filtrate, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Potassium Hyaluronate, Lupinus Albus Seed Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract, Xylitol, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Hydrolyzed Hibiscus Esculentus Extract, Tromethamine, Pvp, Allantoin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Hexylglycerin, Adenosine, Sodium Phytate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Palmitic Acid, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingDipropylene Glycol
HumectantHydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin)
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientMethyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Methicone
Skin ConditioningPhenyl Trimethicone
Skin ConditioningC12-16 Alcohols
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningSea Water
HumectantChondrus Crispus Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingHyaluronic Acid
HumectantHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantGlyceryl Stearate Se
EmulsifyingCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningCeramide As
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCeramide Ns
Skin ConditioningPolymethylsilsesquioxane
Palmitic Acid
EmollientCetearyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingCetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
EmulsifyingHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingCopernicia Cerifera Wax
Stearic Acid
CleansingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientAllantoin
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantBeta-Glucan
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
EmollientPhytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dipropylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Cetearyl Alcohol, Methyl Trimethicone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Methicone, Phenyl Trimethicone, C12-16 Alcohols, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Sea Water, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Ceramide AP, Ceramide As, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide NP, Ceramide Ns, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Palmitic Acid, Cetearyl Glucoside, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Stearic Acid, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glyceryl Caprylate, Allantoin, Panthenol, Butylene Glycol, Beta-Glucan, Cholesterol, Phytosphingosine, Disodium EDTA
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
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer is a synthetically created polymer. It's used as a film-forming agent and used to thicken the consistency of products.
Think of it as a supportive ingredient that helps your gel-creams feel silky, "cloud cream-like", and spread evenly without being greasy.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel evaluated it (along with 22 other acryloyldimethyltaurate polymers) and concluded it's:
Due to its large molecular size, it sits on the surface of skin rather than penetrating it.
Learn more about Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp CopolymerButylene 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 GlycolWe don't have a description for C12-16 Alcohols yet.
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 GlycerinHyaluronic 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 AcidHydrogenated Lecithin is a more stable version of lecithin.
It's made by taking lecithin (a phospholipid commonly found in soybeans and egg yolks) and hydrogenating it. This just means the unsaturated fatty acids are turned into saturated ones so they don't go bad as easily.
This ingredient is an emollient, emulsifier, and penetration enhancer. As an emollient, it helps soften and hydrate skin by trapping moisture within. As an emulsifier, it prevents oil and water ingredients from separating.
Hydrogenated Lecithin can form tiny spherical structures made of phospholipid bilayers called liposomes. These liposomes are able to capture compounds inside their structure and deliver them through the skin barrier.
Because phospholipids are a natural component of our cell membranes, this ingredient is inherently compatible with skin.
A 2021 study found lecithin-based surfactants were less harsh and more tolerable comared to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).
Learn more about Hydrogenated LecithinPalmitic Acid is a fatty acid naturally found in our skin and in many plant and animal sources. In cosmetics, it is usually derived from palm oil. It serves many purposes in skincare, acting as a cleanser, emollient, and emulsifier.
Interestingly, topically applied Palmitic Acid can be elongated into longer chain fatty acids and ceramides. A 2019 study found low levels of Palmitic Acid lead to slower development of cells, suggesting it plays a role in keeping your skin's renewal process on track.
The CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) panel determined it safe as used in cosmetics at concentrations up to 13%. It is non-irritating and non-sensitizing in clinical studies.
The culprit behind fungal acne, the Malassezia yeast, feeds on fatty acids with carbon chain lengths between C11-C24. Palmitic Acid, at C16, falls right into that sweet spot.
In vitro studies have shown that Palmitic Acid is one of the fatty acids that induce rapid Malassezia growth in lab settings.
It's worth noting that what feeds yeast in a lab doesn't necessarily feed it on your face since formulation and your skin's chemistry play a bigger role.
Learn more about Palmitic AcidPolymethylsilsesquioxane is a silicone used as a film forming agent.
When applied to the skin, this ingredient creates an invisible film on the surface. This film still allows oxygen to pass through, but prevents moisture from escaping. This can help condition and hydrate the skin. It also leaves a silky feel when applied.
Polymethylsilsesquioxane has not been shown to clog pores. It has been deemed safe to use up to 55%, but most cosmetics use much less.
If you have concerns about using this ingredient, we recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about PolymethylsilsesquioxaneWater. 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