What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Squalane
Emollient
Soymilk Isoflavones
Antioxidant
Milk Ferment
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Arginine
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCyclodextrin
AbsorbentStearic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Soy Protein Phthalate
EmollientGlycine Max Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Honey
Humectant
Methylparaben
Preservative
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantHydrogenated Poly(C6-12 Olefin)
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
PPG-10 Methyl Glucose Ether
Skin ConditioningCeteth-23
CleansingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingBehenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Arginine
Masking
Propanediol
Solvent
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Skin ConditioningCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Lactococcus/Hyaluronic Acid Ferment Filtrate
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dipropylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-12 Olefin), Pentylene Glycol, PPG-10 Methyl Glucose Ether, Ceteth-23, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Carbomer, Behenyl Alcohol, Arginine, Propanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Disodium EDTA, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Lactococcus/Hyaluronic Acid Ferment Filtrate
Reviews
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 high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateWater. 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
