What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No 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 ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantPropanediol
Solvent1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantTromethamine
BufferingGlycerin
HumectantCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlycine Max Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Pea Protein
EmollientDisodium Phosphate
BufferingPolysorbate 60
EmulsifyingBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicSodium DNA
Skin ConditioningSodium Phosphate
BufferingPanthenol
Skin ConditioningAvena Sativa Protein Extract
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningArgania Spinosa Kernel Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Lupine Protein
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Skin ConditioningLepidium Meyenii Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPersea Gratissima Fruit Extract
EmollientAvena Sativa Peptide
Skin ConditioningGlycine Max Polypeptide
Skin ConditioningTriticum Aestivum Peptide
Skin ConditioningWater, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Tromethamine, Glycerin, Carbomer, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycine Max Seed Extract, Hydrolyzed Pea Protein, Disodium Phosphate, Polysorbate 60, Biotin, Sodium DNA, Sodium Phosphate, Panthenol, Avena Sativa Protein Extract, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Argania Spinosa Kernel Extract, Hydrolyzed Lupine Protein, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Lepidium Meyenii Root Extract, Persea Gratissima Fruit Extract, Avena Sativa Peptide, Glycine Max Polypeptide, Triticum Aestivum Peptide
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
Biotin is a B vitamin that is naturally produced by our bodies. It is also called Vitamin H.
Our bodies use biotin in the metabolism process. It also helps our bodies use enzymes and move nutrients around. A biotin deficiency can lead to brittle hair and nails.
More research is needed on applying biotin topically. However, taking biotin orally has been shown to help nourish the skin, hair, and nails. They play a role in forming skin-hydrating fatty acids.
Biotin is water-soluble. It can be found in foods such as fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, and meat. Vitamin H stands for "haar" and "haut". These are the German words for hair and skin.
Learn more about BiotinButylene 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 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 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 HydroxyethylcellulosePanthenol 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