What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
Ectoin
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
PEG-240/Hdi Copolymer Bis-Decyltetradeceth-20 Ether
StabilisingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Sodium Phytate
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Potassium Laurate
EmulsifyingMadecassoside
Antioxidant
Water, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Ectoin, Niacinamide, Pentylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Panthenol, PEG-240/Hdi Copolymer Bis-Decyltetradeceth-20 Ether, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Phytate, Ceramide NP, Beta-Glucan, Allantoin, Tocopherol, Potassium Laurate, Madecassoside
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Collagen Extract
Skin Protecting
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Inulin Lauryl Carbamate
Emulsion StabilisingButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium Palmitoyl Sarcosinate
CleansingAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Acetyl Octapeptide-3
Humectant
Copper Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Tripeptide-3
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Tripeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydrolyzed Collagen Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butylene Glycol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Sodium Palmitoyl Sarcosinate, Adenosine, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Acetyl Octapeptide-3, Copper Tripeptide-1, Tripeptide-1, Tripeptide-3, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Tripeptide-2
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
Adenosine is a purine nucleoside that your body already makes in every cell. In skincare, it acts mainly as a skin conditioning and anti-aging agent.
The way it works is fairly well mapped out:
Your skin has cells called fibroblasts that build collagen (the stuff that keeps skin firm and smooth). Adenosine basically flips a switch on these cells that tells them to get to work making more collagen and other proteins. These cells slow down on their own as skin ages, so Adenosine helps give them a little nudge to keep going.
The clinical backing is pretty solid too.
A blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 126 women aged 45-65 tested a 0.1% cream twice daily and found real improvements in crow's feet and frown lines using a precise 3D skin-mapping technique; these changes showed up by week 3 and held at 2 months.
A later study using Adenosine-loaded dissolving microneedle patches reported gains in wrinkle depth, dermal density, elasticity, and hydration.
On concentrations, South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has set 0.04% as the approved functional anti-wrinkle level. You'll typically see this ingredient used somewhere in the 0.04-0.1% range since it works at low doses.
This ingredient has been found safe for cosmetics with the data showing no irritation or sensitization.
Overall, this is a great ingredient for any anti-aging routine and has no photosensitizing effect, so it suits both AM and PM use.
Learn more about AdenosineButylene 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 GlycolCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydrogenated Lecithin is a more stable version of lecithin.
It's made by taking lecithin (a phospholipid commonly found in soybeans and egg yolks) and hydrogenating it. This just means the unsaturated fatty acids are turned into saturated ones so they don't go bad as easily.
This ingredient is an emollient, emulsifier, and penetration enhancer. As an emollient, it helps soften and hydrate skin by trapping moisture within. As an emulsifier, it prevents oil and water ingredients from separating.
Hydrogenated Lecithin can form tiny spherical structures made of phospholipid bilayers called liposomes. These liposomes are able to capture compounds inside their structure and deliver them through the skin barrier.
Because phospholipids are a natural component of our cell membranes, this ingredient is inherently compatible with skin.
A 2021 study found lecithin-based surfactants were less harsh and more tolerable comared to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).
Learn more about Hydrogenated LecithinWater. 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
