What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Diethoxyethyl Succinate
SolventRetinol
Skin Conditioning
Retinal
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Propanediol
Solvent
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Calcium Alginate
MaskingAgar
MaskingPalmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Pentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Gentiana Scabra Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPiper Methysticum Leaf/Root/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningCarnosine
Skin Conditioning
Polygonum Bistorta Root Extract
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingPalmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Diethoxyethyl Succinate, Retinol, Retinal, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Niacinamide, Propanediol, Carbomer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Calcium Alginate, Agar, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, Sodium Hyaluronate, Disodium EDTA, Ceramide As, Centella Asiatica Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Ceramide Ns, Tocopherol, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Gentiana Scabra Root Extract, Piper Methysticum Leaf/Root/Stem Extract, Carnosine, Polygonum Bistorta Root Extract, Hexylene Glycol, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate
Humectant
Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate
EmollientCetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientDipentaerythrityl Hexa C5-9 Acid Esters
Skin ConditioningBetaine
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPolyglycerin-3
Humectant
Dimethyl Isosorbide
Solvent1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Isoamyl P-Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Bisabolol
Masking
Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables
Emollient
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Tromethamine
BufferingAlbatrellus Confluens Extract
Humectant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine
HumectantSodium Phytate
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Squalane, Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Dipentaerythrityl Hexa C5-9 Acid Esters, Betaine, Pentylene Glycol, Polyglycerin-3, Dimethyl Isosorbide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Isoamyl P-Methoxycinnamate, Tocopherol, Bisabolol, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables, Allantoin, Tromethamine, Albatrellus Confluens Extract, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine, Sodium Phytate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Benzyl Alcohol, Dehydroacetic Acid
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.Ā
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 preservativesĀ
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolGlycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.
As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.
Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.
Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.
In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.
This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinThis ingredient is a retinoid. It usually goes by a more common name: "Granactive".
Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate (HPR) belongs to the class of retinoids that also includes retinol and tretinoin.
Retinoids have been proven to:
So what is the difference between all the retinoids?
Most retinoids need to go through a conversion line to become effective on skin. The ending product is retinoic acid. Retinoic acid is AKA tretinoin.
HPR is an ester of tretinoin. Emerging studies suggest HPR to have an added benefit that other retinoids don't have: Low irritation.
A study from 2021 found HPR to have the greatest stability when exposed to light and temperature out of all the commercial retinoids.
A note about naming:
The name "Granactive" is the trade name and the name most commonly used on packages.
Granactive is the name of the mixture - about 90% solvent and 10% HPR. A product with 5% granactive has 0.5% HPR.
Learn more about Hydroxypinacolone RetinoatePentylene 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 hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.
Like hyaluronic acid, it is great at holding water and acts as a humectant. This makes it a great skin hydrating ingredient.
Sodium Hyaluronate is naturally occurring in our bodies and is mostly found in eye fluid and joints.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateTocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skinās lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
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. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
