What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Water
AntimicrobialButylene Glycol
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Methylpropanediol
SolventCaprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Vinyldimethicone
Chamaecyparis Obtusa Water
MaskingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Tromethamine
BufferingDimethiconol
Emollient
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Pinus Palustris Leaf Extract
TonicXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Sodium Phytate
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Mandelic Acid
Antimicrobial
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Water, Butylene Glycol, Panthenol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Methylpropanediol, Caprylyl Methicone, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Pentylene Glycol, Dicaprylyl Ether, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Vinyldimethicone, Chamaecyparis Obtusa Water, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Tromethamine, Dimethiconol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Allantoin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Pinus Palustris Leaf Extract, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Phytate, Ceramide NP, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Beta-Glucan, Mandelic Acid, Tocopherol
Glycerin 21%
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
C30-45 Alkyl Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Polybutene
Sodium Citrate
BufferingPEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Citric Acid
Buffering
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Zinc Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Copper Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Manganese Gluconate
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Glycerin 21%, Water, Dimethicone, Panthenol, Pentylene Glycol, C30-45 Alkyl Dimethicone, Polybutene, Sodium Citrate, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Citric Acid, Dimethiconol, Polysorbate 20, Madecassoside, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Zinc Gluconate, Copper Gluconate, Manganese Gluconate, Tocopherol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Dimethiconol is a silicone that resembles the popular dimethicone. Like other silicones, it is an emollient. Emollients create a thin film on skin to prevent moisture from escaping.
This ingredient helps to create a silky texture and improve spreadability. Due to its high molecular weight and thickness, it is often combined with cyclopentasiloxane.
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 GlycerinPanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolPentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolSodium 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 HyaluronateTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
