What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningBetaine
HumectantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin ConditioningCarica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningGluconolactone
Skin ConditioningXylitylglucoside
HumectantAnhydroxylitol
HumectantXylitol
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantGlucose
HumectantPapain
Skin ConditioningHydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
HumectantHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantHyaluronic Acid
HumectantHydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
HumectantPotassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantPvm/Ma Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingWater, Dipropylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Betaine, Panthenol, Allantoin, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Gluconolactone, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glucose, Papain, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Potassium Hyaluronate, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Pvm/Ma Copolymer
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycereth-26
HumectantNiacinamide
Smoothing1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningTerminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
AntioxidantCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingAsiaticoside
AntioxidantMadecassoside
AntioxidantCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningAnanas Sativus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCarica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAvena Sativa Meal Extract
SoothingLactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus/Rice Ferment
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus
Skin ConditioningSaccharomyces/Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningSaccharomyces/Potato Extract Ferment Filtrate
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantCamellia Japonica Seed Oil
EmollientAsiatic Acid
Skin ConditioningMadecassic Acid
Skin ConditioningLinoleic Acid
CleansingLactobionic Acid
BufferingSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
HumectantSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
HumectantHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingPropanediol
SolventSodium Citrate
BufferingBetaine
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Adenosine
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Butylene Glycol, Panthenol, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycereth-26, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Asiaticoside, Madecassoside, Ceramide NP, Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Avena Sativa Meal Extract, Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Lactobacillus/Rice Ferment, Lactobacillus, Saccharomyces/Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Ferment Filtrate, Saccharomyces/Potato Extract Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Asiatic Acid, Madecassic Acid, Linoleic Acid, Lactobionic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Propanediol, Sodium Citrate, Betaine, Glycerin, Citric Acid, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Adenosine, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ethylhexylglycerin
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.Â
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 preservativesÂ
Betaine is a humectant. Like hyaluronic acid, it helps attract and retain moisture in the skin. It’s known for being gentle and for helping the skin maintain balanced hydration.
Betaine is mainly used to improve hydration and support calmer skin. It helps skin cells regulate water balance because it functions as an osmolyte.
Some studies suggest betaine may support making skin tone more even.
Fun fact: Betaine naturally exists in the skin and the body. In cosmetic products, it can be either plant-derived (most commonly from sugar beets) or synthetically produced for consistency and stability.
Betaine is also known as trimethylglycine.
Learn more about BetaineButylene 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 GlycolCarica Papaya Fruit Extract comes from the flesh of the papaya. It's a skin conditioning agent that carries a mix of bioactives like papain, beta-carotene, and vitamin C.
These bioactive compounds give it two main talking points:
1. Papain is a proteolytic enzyme that provides mild exfoliation, helping skin look smoother and more even.
2. The carotenoids and vitamin C provide some antioxidant activity.
It's pretty compatible with most ingredients, but just sure to space out enzyme products with strong acids/retinoids to avoid over-doing it.
Maximum reported concentration is around 0.1% and most leave-on products use just 0.05%. If you see higher figures like 5-10%, this is usually the pre-diluted material from raw extract suppliers.
This ingredient has an assuring safety record and there's a lack of clinical case reports of dermatitis from using it.
The only caveat is allergy: patch test if you have a papaya or latex-fruit allergy.
Learn more about Carica Papaya Fruit ExtractDipropylene Glycol is a synthetically created humectant, stabilizer, and solvent.
This ingredient helps:
Dipropylene glycol is technically an alcohol, but it belongs to the glycol family (often considered part of the ‘good’ alcohols). This means it is hydrating and gentle on skin unlike drying solvent alcohols like denatured alcohol.
As a masking agent, Dipropylene Glycol can be used to cover the smell of other ingredients. However, it does not have a scent.
Studies show Dipropylene Glycol is considered safe to use in skincare.
Learn more about Dipropylene 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 GlycerinHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid (HA) that is broken down into lower molecular weight fragments.
It's a humectant that pulls and holds water in the skin to help with hydration, plumpness, and reduce transepidermal water loss.
Because hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid is smaller in size, it can slip past your outermost layer of skin more easily than full-sized HA.
Most formulations will combine all sizes to get the best of both worlds.
Typical usage levels range from 0.01-1%. Any percentage higher than 2% might become goopy and tacky.
Learn more about Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic AcidThis form of hyaluronic acid is produced through fermentation.
According to a manufacturer, it has a positive charge by ionic binding to help moisturize and give hair a smooth feel. This is why you'll find this ingredient in shampoos and body washes.
Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate is a type of Hyaluronic Acid.
Hyaluronic Acids help moisturize, soothe, and protect the skin.
Read about common types of Hyaluronic Acid here:
Learn more about Sodium Acetylated HyaluronateSodium 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 HyaluronateSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer is a crosslinked version of sodium hyaluronate. This just means it's linked into a 3D mesh network that lets it be more stable and sit on skin as a cohesive, gel-like film rather than sinking into skin.
A 2016 human skin study found crosslinked HA increased epidermal water content by 7.6% over the control group and reduced transepidermal water loss by 27.8%.
A follow-up clinical trial found that a topical crosslinked HA serum applied after fillers, microneedling, or chemical peels was well-tolerated and enhanced skin quality at 14 / 28 days.
More recent research suggests that concentrations as low as 0.03% can act as a penetration enhancer for other skincare actives.
Learn more about Sodium Hyaluronate CrosspolymerWater. 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