What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientIsohexadecane
EmollientIsoeicosane
EmollientIsononyl Isononanoate
EmollientCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Coco-Betaine
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAminomethyl Propanol
BufferingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Cucumis Sativus Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Arginine
Masking
Aspartic Acid
Masking
PCA
Humectant
Glycine
Buffering
Alanine
Masking
Serine
Masking
Valine
MaskingProline
Skin Conditioning
Threonine
Isoleucine
Skin ConditioningHistidine
Humectant
Phenylalanine
Masking
Water, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Isohexadecane, Isoeicosane, Isononyl Isononanoate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Coco-Betaine, Glyceryl Stearate, Carbomer, Aminomethyl Propanol, Allantoin, Saccharide Isomerate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Cucumis Sativus Seed Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, PCA, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Proline, Threonine, Isoleucine, Histidine, Phenylalanine
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
PEG-40 Stearate
Emulsifying
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Surfactant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPotassium Phosphate
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Dipotassium Phosphate
BufferingSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, PEG-40 Stearate, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Glyceryl Stearate, Polysorbate 20, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Phosphate, Disodium EDTA, Dipotassium Phosphate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Tocopherol, Ceramide EOP
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerGlyceryl 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 StearateSodium 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
