What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate
Emulsifying
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPolyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Sorbitol
Humectant
Tromethamine
BufferingPolyglyceryl-3 Distearate
Emulsifying
Sedum Sarmentosum Extract
HumectantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Musa Sapientum Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningRosa Damascena Flower Water
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Pyrus Communis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPrunus Domestica Fruit Extract
MoisturisingMelia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningBiosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Cucumis Melo Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningHedera Helix Leaf/Stem Extract
AntimicrobialHydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAdansonia Digitata Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningEquisetum Arvense Extract
AstringentOlea Europaea Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract
AstringentFructan
Skin ConditioningSophora Japonica Flower Extract
Skin ProtectingOcimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCurcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Corallina Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Niacinamide, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Butylene Glycol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Stearyl Alcohol, Propanediol, Carbomer, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Sorbitol, Tromethamine, Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, Sedum Sarmentosum Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Adenosine, Musa Sapientum Flower Extract, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Disodium EDTA, Pyrus Communis Fruit Extract, Prunus Domestica Fruit Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Cucumis Melo Fruit Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Hedera Helix Leaf/Stem Extract, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Adansonia Digitata Seed Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Olea Europaea Leaf Extract, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract, Fructan, Sophora Japonica Flower Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningSqualane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Carnosine
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-11
Emulsion Stabilising1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateHyaluronic 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 AcidPolyglyceryl-2 Stearate isn't fungal acne safe.
Stearyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol from stearic acid. It is a white, waxy compound used to emulsify ingredients used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Emollients help soothe and hydrate the skin by trapping moisture.
Fatty alcohols are usually derived from natural fats and oils and therefore do not have the same drying or irritating effect as solvent (ethanol) alcohols.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
Learn more about Stearyl AlcoholWater. 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
