What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantMatrixyl 3000
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantPortulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin ConditioningHyaluronic Acid
HumectantCodium Tomentosum Extract
Skin ProtectingCitrus Paradisi Seed Extract
MaskingCereus Grandiflorus Extract
AntioxidantPolyglyceryl-6 Caprylate
EmulsifyingTrehalose
HumectantHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Oil
MaskingRosa Canina Fruit Oil
EmollientHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientAllantoin
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
CleansingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Butylene Glycol, Matrixyl 3000, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Codium Tomentosum Extract, Citrus Paradisi Seed Extract, Cereus Grandiflorus Extract, Polyglyceryl-6 Caprylate, Trehalose, Hydroxyacetophenone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Allantoin, Stearic Acid, Xanthan Gum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycerinHyaluronic acid (HA) is a glycosaminoglycan (basically a long sugar chain) that your skin already makes on its own. In your skin, HA lives in the extracellular matrix and acts as the body's moisture reservoir.
Topically, HA is a humectant that binds water and helps skin look more plump, smooth, and hydrated.
The only catch is that HA isn't a single thing; it actually comes in a wide range of molecular weights (~50 - 2,000+ kDA) and size matters.
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
This is why the best HA serums blend the two sizes together so you get the best of both worlds.
The majority of cosmetic HA is produced by bacterial fermentation, typically using Streptococcus or Bacillus strains. Typical use levels in skincare sit around 0.1-2%.
A clinical study using a 0.2% low-molecular weight HA gel showed improvement in facial seborrheic dermatitis with excellent tolerance.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Learn more about Hyaluronic AcidWater. 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 WaterThis famous peptide is a blend of various INCI ingredients.
Read more about the benefits of the peptides in this mix, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7.
Or learn more about the other ingredients:
Glycerin, Water, Butylene Glycol, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20.