What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDibutyl Adipate
EmollientPropanediol
Solvent
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid
UV Absorber
Glycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate
Emulsifying
Tromethamine
Buffering1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polysilicone-15
UV Filter
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
Caprylic/Capric/Succinic Triglyceride
EmollientPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingBis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Methylpropanediol
SolventAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Silica
Abrasive
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Polyether-1
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
T-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Glycine Soja Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tetrahydropiperine
Skin ConditioningPhloretin
Antioxidant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Arginine
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Potassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningWater, Dibutyl Adipate, Propanediol, Alcohol Denat., Ethylhexyl Triazone, Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, Tromethamine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polysilicone-15, Caprylyl Methicone, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Caprylic/Capric/Succinic Triglyceride, Palmitic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Stearic Acid, Methylpropanediol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Silica, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum, Adenosine, Sodium Polyacrylate, Polyether-1, Myristic Acid, T-Butyl Alcohol, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Tetrahydropiperine, Phloretin, Hyaluronic Acid, Arginine, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Potassium Hyaluronate
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Lauryl Betaine
CleansingAcrylates Copolymer
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Disodium Coco-Glucoside Citrate
Emulsifying
Sorbitol
Humectant
Sodium Cocoamphoacetate
CleansingSodium Chloride
Masking1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
Hexadecene
SolventTetradecene
EmollientPEG-9 Diglycidyl Ether/Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
PPG-14 Butyl Ether
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Houttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Hydrolyzed Gardenia Florida Extract
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Potassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningWater, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Lauryl Betaine, Acrylates Copolymer, Coco-Glucoside, Glycerin, Disodium Coco-Glucoside Citrate, Sorbitol, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Sodium Chloride, 1,2-Hexanediol, Dipropylene Glycol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Parfum, Hexadecene, Tetradecene, PEG-9 Diglycidyl Ether/Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, PPG-14 Butyl Ether, Sodium Hyaluronate, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Maltodextrin, Hydrolyzed Gardenia Florida Extract, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Potassium Hyaluronate
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
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 AcidHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid (HA) that is broken down into lower molecular weight fragments.
It's a humectant that pulls and holds water in the skin to help with hydration, plumpness, and reduce transepidermal water loss.
Because hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid is smaller in size, it can slip past your outermost layer of skin more easily than full-sized HA.
Most formulations will combine all sizes to get the best of both worlds.
Typical usage levels range from 0.01-1%. Any percentage higher than 2% might become goopy and tacky.
Learn more about Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic AcidThis ingredient is created by putting sodium hyaluronate through hydrolysis.
You might know this as 'mini' or 'ultra low-molecular weight' hyaluronic acid. The small molecule size means it is able to travel deeper in the skin.
According to studies, low molecular-weight hyaluronic acid can:
One study from 2011 found ultra-low weight HA to show pro-inflammatory properties. Another study from 2022 found it to downregulate UV-B induced inflammation.
Hydrolysis is a process of changing a molecule using water or enzymes.
This ingredient is water-soluble.
Learn more about Hydrolyzed Sodium HyaluronateThis form of hyaluronic acid is produced through fermentation.
According to a manufacturer, it has a positive charge by ionic binding to help moisturize and give hair a smooth feel. This is why you'll find this ingredient in shampoos and body washes.
Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumPotassium hyaluronate (PH) is a salt form of hyaluronic acid and has similar skin hydrating benefits.
Similar to hyaluronic acid, PH is able to draw and hold moisture to your skin. This helps keep skin soft and hydrated.
Fun fact: PH is used in eye drops and injectable treatments for joint disorders. It has lubricating and tissue-repair properties.
Learn more about Potassium HyaluronateSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate is a type of Hyaluronic Acid.
Hyaluronic Acids help moisturize, soothe, and protect the skin.
Read about common types of Hyaluronic Acid here:
Learn more about Sodium Acetylated HyaluronateSodium 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 HyaluronateSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer is a crosslinked version of sodium hyaluronate. This just means it's linked into a 3D mesh network that lets it be more stable and sit on skin as a cohesive, gel-like film rather than sinking into skin.
A 2016 human skin study found crosslinked HA increased epidermal water content by 7.6% over the control group and reduced transepidermal water loss by 27.8%.
A follow-up clinical trial found that a topical crosslinked HA serum applied after fillers, microneedling, or chemical peels was well-tolerated and enhanced skin quality at 14 / 28 days.
More recent research suggests that concentrations as low as 0.03% can act as a penetration enhancer for other skincare actives.
Learn more about Sodium Hyaluronate CrosspolymerWater. 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
