What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Laminaria Japonica Extract
Skin ProtectingWater
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion Stabilising1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantCaffeine
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin ConditioningArginine
MaskingMoringa Oleifera Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningSageretia Thea Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Water
MaskingTurnera Diffusa Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantSodium Lactate
BufferingSodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantLeucine
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
BufferingPhenylalanine
MaskingIsoleucine
Skin ConditioningAlanine
MaskingAspartic Acid
MaskingAcetyl Hexapeptide-8
HumectantPalmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin ConditioningMethionine
Skin ConditioningProline
Skin ConditioningGlycine
BufferingGlutamic Acid
HumectantBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicValine
MaskingSerine
MaskingTaurine
BufferingHistidine
HumectantOrnithine
Skin ConditioningLaminaria Japonica Extract, Water, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, 1,2-Hexanediol, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Caffeine, Panthenol, Arginine, Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract, Sageretia Thea Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, Turnera Diffusa Leaf Extract, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Lactate, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Leucine, Citric Acid, Phenylalanine, Isoleucine, Alanine, Aspartic Acid, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Methionine, Proline, Glycine, Glutamic Acid, Biotin, Valine, Serine, Taurine, Histidine, Ornithine
Water
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingPortulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin ConditioningHouttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPropanediol
SolventEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Disodium Phosphate
BufferingPolysorbate 60
EmulsifyingSodium Phosphate
BufferingTocopherol
AntioxidantGlycerin
HumectantHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantMyristoyl Pentapeptide-17
Skin ConditioningCopper Tripeptide-1
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientBenzoic Acid
MaskingSodium Benzoate
MaskingWater, 1,2-Hexanediol, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Carbomer, Propanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Disodium Phosphate, Polysorbate 60, Sodium Phosphate, Tocopherol, Glycerin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17, Copper Tripeptide-1, Caprylyl Glycol, Benzoic Acid, Sodium Benzoate
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
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 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 GlycerinHydroxyacetophenone is antioxidant with skin conditioning and soothing properties. It also boosts the efficiency of preservatives.
Though naturally occuring in Norwegian spruce needles, this ingredient is usually synthetically created.
This ingredient is not irritating or sensitizing. Recent research also suggests it may have skin-brightening effects through tyrosinase inhibition.
Learn more about HydroxyacetophenoneHydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.
This ingredient helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.
This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.
Learn more about HydroxyethylcelluloseSodium 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 HyaluronateWater. 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