What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningTetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Gallic Acid
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Grandis Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil
Skin Protecting
Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Extract
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Passiflora Incarnata Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningVitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingPhytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Sodium Citrate
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Phytate
Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol
Antioxidant
Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Propanediol, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Behenyl Alcohol, Gallic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil, Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ceramide NP, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil, Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Passiflora Incarnata Flower Extract, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Dicaprylyl Ether, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Phytosphingosine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Citrate, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Sodium Phytate, Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Sodium 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 HyaluronateWater. 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
