What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polyacrylamide
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Pseudoalteromonas Ferment Extract
Humectant
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingDisodium EDTA
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Polysilicone-11
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Linalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
CI 15985
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Olivate, Phenoxyethanol, Polyacrylamide, Sorbitan Olivate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Pseudoalteromonas Ferment Extract, Benzyl Alcohol, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Disodium EDTA, Laureth-7, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum, Citric Acid, Polysilicone-11, Dehydroacetic Acid, Linalool, Limonene, CI 15985, CI 42090
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Stearate
CleansingBis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hamamelis Virginiana Extract
Antiseborrhoeic
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Water
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingHectorite
AbsorbentEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Sodium Stearate, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Phenoxyethanol, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Water, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Hectorite, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Gluconate, CI 19140, CI 42090
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ci 42090 is a synthetic dye created from petroleum. It is used to give a bright blue color to cosmetics, medicine, and food.
Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Sodium 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
