What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Citrate
BufferingPropanediol
Solvent
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Potassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningHydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Sodium Retinoyl Hyaluronate
Zinc Hydrolyzed Hyaluronate
HumectantSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ascorbylpropyl Hydrolyzed Hyaluronate
HumectantAscorbyl Propyl Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate
HumectantPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Copper Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate
Skin Conditioning
S-Mu-Conotoxin Cniiic
Skin ProtectingAcetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Nonapeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Carnosine
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Malachite Extract
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Sodium Citrate, Propanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Potassium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Retinoyl Hyaluronate, Zinc Hydrolyzed Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Ascorbylpropyl Hydrolyzed Hyaluronate, Ascorbyl Propyl Hyaluronate, Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Copper Tripeptide-1, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, S-Mu-Conotoxin Cniiic, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Nonapeptide-1, Carnosine, Allantoin, Malachite Extract, Citric Acid, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Pentylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Benzoate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Methyl Gluceth-20
Humectant
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Solanum Lycopersicum Meristem Cell
Antioxidant
Lactobacillus/Tomato Fruit Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBetaine
Humectant
Parfum
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Trehalose
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Arbutin
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Hyaluronic Acid, Methyl Gluceth-20, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Solanum Lycopersicum Meristem Cell, Lactobacillus/Tomato Fruit Ferment Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Niacinamide, Xanthan Gum, Betaine, Parfum, Citric Acid, Trehalose, Allantoin, Panthenol, Disodium EDTA, Arbutin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sorbic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Ascorbyl Glucoside
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinHyaluronic 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 AcidHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid (HA) that is broken down into lower molecular weight fragments.
It's a humectant that pulls and holds water in the skin to help with hydration, plumpness, and reduce transepidermal water loss.
Because hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid is smaller in size, it can slip past your outermost layer of skin more easily than full-sized HA.
Most formulations will combine all sizes to get the best of both worlds.
Typical usage levels range from 0.01-1%. Any percentage higher than 2% might become goopy and tacky.
Learn more about Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic AcidPhenoxyethanol 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.
Water. 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
