What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Squalane
Emollient
Soymilk Isoflavones
Antioxidant
Rhizopus/Soybean Ferment Extract Filtrate
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Arginine
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCyclodextrin
AbsorbentStearic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycine Soja Protein
EmulsifyingGlycine Soja Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Methylparaben
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Alcohol, Squalane, Soymilk Isoflavones, Rhizopus/Soybean Ferment Extract Filtrate, Butylene Glycol, Arginine, Carbomer, Cyclodextrin, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycine Soja Protein, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Sodium Polyacrylate, Beeswax, Methylparaben
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantDiglycerin
Humectant
Methyl Gluceth-20
Humectant
Betaine
Humectant
Soymilk Isoflavones
Antioxidant
Milk Ferment
Skin ConditioningCeramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Arginine
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingCyclodextrin
AbsorbentPhytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Polyquaternium-51
Skin Conditioning
Methyl Gluceth-10
EmulsifyingSucrose Laurate
Emollient
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Water, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Diglycerin, Methyl Gluceth-20, Betaine, Soymilk Isoflavones, Milk Ferment, Ceramide Ng, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Arginine, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Cyclodextrin, Phytosterols, Sodium Polyacrylate, Polyquaternium-51, Methyl Gluceth-10, Sucrose Laurate, Potassium Hydroxide, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 ArginineButylene 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 GlycolCarbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.
Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.
It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.
Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.
A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.
Learn more about CarbomerCyclodextrins are ring-shaped sugar molecules made from starch. It is used to stabilize, protect, and slowly release active ingredients.
This ingredient can help prevent oxidation, reduce irritation from strong actives, and make certain ingredients absorb better once applied.
Once applied to your skin, enzymes gradually break down the cyclodextrin "ring"; this releases the active ingredient in a controlled way.
Learn more about CyclodextrinMethylparaben is a synthetic preservative and one of the most widely used in the world. It has a simple, but important job: prevent your products from going bad by stopping bacteria, yeast, and mold from growing.
Typical use levels are low, often 0.1-0.3%.
This is also one of the most heavily studied preservatives out there and major regulatory bodies have repeatedly given it the green light.
In 2023, the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) confirmed that this ingredient is safe up to 0.4% on its own, of up to 0.8% when mixed with other paraben esters.
Here's the science behind the noise behind parabens/hormones as well:
Methylparaben shows very weak estrogen-like activity in vitro tests (more than 1,000x weaker than your body's own estradiol). In vivo (live-organism) studies don't support a meaningful endocrine-disrupting effect either.
You get a stronger estrogenic effect from eating tofu, actually.
It's also a low sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon; they usually happen on damage or broken skin.
There is a caveat: France has proposed to formally re-examine its endocrine classification in 2025 so the regulatory conversation isn't fully closed as of yet.
But as it stands today, this ingredient is considered safe at permitted levels.
Learn more about MethylparabenSodium Polyacrylate is the sodium salt of polyacrylic acid. It is used as an absorber, emollient, and stabilizer.
This ingredient is a super-absorbent polymer - meaning it can absorb 100 to 1000 times its mass in water. As an emollient, Sodium Polyacrylate helps soften and soothe skin. Emollients work by creating a barrier to trap moisture in. This helps keep your skin hydrated.
Soymilk Isoflavones is an antioxidant.
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
