What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Laminaria Japonica Extract
Skin Protecting
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion Stabilising1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Dipropylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Arginine
Masking
Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sageretia Thea Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Water
Masking
Turnera Diffusa Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Leucine
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Phenylalanine
Masking
Isoleucine
Skin ConditioningAlanine
Masking
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
Methionine
Skin ConditioningProline
Skin Conditioning
Glycine
Buffering
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicValine
MaskingSerine
Masking
Taurine
BufferingHistidine
Humectant
Ornithine
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 ConditioningIsopentyldiol
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingRicinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Nephelium Lappaceum Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Japonica Seed Oil
Emollient
Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil
Humectant
Camellia Japonica Flower Extract
EmollientCamellia Japonica Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Polyacrylate Starch
AbsorbentHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Schisandra Chinensis Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1
Water, Isopentyldiol, Propanediol, Glycerin, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Panthenol, Nephelium Lappaceum Seed Extract, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil, Camellia Japonica Flower Extract, Camellia Japonica Seed Extract, Sodium Polyacrylate Starch, Hydroxyacetophenone, Schisandra Chinensis Fruit Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Maltodextrin, Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1
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
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 GlycerinHydroxyacetophenone is a small phenolic molecule that earns its place in a formulas as an antioxidant and preservative booster.
As a phenol, it is able to neutralize free radicals to protect both the product and the skin from oxidative stress.
Though it can't kill microbes on its own, it works as a good supporting agent when combined with other preservatives like Phenoxyethanol or 1,2-Hexanediol.
This ingredient naturally occurs as piceol in Norwegian spruce needles (~0.4-1.1% dry weight and in cloudberries). Though the cosmetic-grade material is synthesized for purity and consistency.
You'll usually see it used at low levels and suppliers recommend up to 1% added to a water phase.
Safety testing was done at concentrations like 0.05% in SPF products and 0.5% in a Human Repeated Insult Patch Test. The safety evidence is assuring; this ingredient is safe for cosmetics in current use and also holds safety status as a food flavoring as well.
An honest caveat: the "soothing" and "anti-inflammatory" claims come mostly from supplier marketing rather than published clinical trials. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review's own literature search found no useful efficacy studies on this ingredient.
So the antioxidant and preservative-boosting roles are the well supported ones while the calming benefit is plausible but thinly evidenced.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated, low-irritation multitasker that quietly helps a formula stay fresh and stable.
Learn more about HydroxyacetophenonePanthenol 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 PanthenolWater. 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
