What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningMethylpropanediol
SolventLactococcus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice
Skin ConditioningAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Betaine
Humectant
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus
Skin ConditioningSodium Chloride
MaskingPhenylpropanol
Masking
Tromethamine
BufferingLevulinic Acid
Perfuming
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Methylpropanediol, Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Pentylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Maltodextrin, Betaine, Adenosine, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Lactobacillus, Sodium Chloride, Phenylpropanol, Tromethamine, Levulinic Acid, Sodium Levulinate, Allantoin, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningAzelaic Acid
Buffering
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
PEG-12 Dimethicone/PPG-20 Crosspolymer
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Palmaria Palmata Extract
Skin ProtectingAlpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice
Skin ConditioningMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Lactobacillus
Skin ConditioningSodium Acrylates Copolymer
Lecithin
Emollient
Arginine
Masking
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPolymethylsilsesquioxane
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Water, Azelaic Acid, Propylene Glycol, Caprylyl Methicone, PEG-12 Dimethicone/PPG-20 Crosspolymer, Cyclopentasiloxane, Palmaria Palmata Extract, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice, Maltodextrin, Lactobacillus, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Lecithin, Arginine, Ethoxydiglycol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Tocopheryl Acetate, Disodium EDTA
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide is a prebiotic. It prevents harmful bacteria from growing on skin by keeping the skin's microbiome in balance.
Another benefit of this ingredient is its antioxidant properties. Antioxidants protect our skin from oxidative damage.
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer is a synthetically created polymer. It's used as a film-forming agent and used to thicken the consistency of products.
Think of it as a supportive ingredient that helps your gel-creams feel silky, "cloud cream-like", and spread evenly without being greasy.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel evaluated it (along with 22 other acryloyldimethyltaurate polymers) and concluded it's:
Due to its large molecular size, it sits on the surface of skin rather than penetrating it.
Learn more about Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp CopolymerEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinLactobacillus is the INCI name for the live, whole lactic bacteria culture itself and is classified as a skin conditioning agent.
It is the same genus of probiotic that you can find in yogurt or fermented foods and it shows up at low levels naturally on human skin.
This ingredient is more of a microbiome agent rather than an active; it helps rebalance the skin's microbial community.
The bacteria and their metabolites produce lactic acid and other antimicrobial compounds that crowd out the "bad bacteria". Research on Lactobacillus strains shows activity against pathogens and acne-causing bacteria.
One strain, Lactobacillus plantarum, has also been shown to boost collagen synthesis and lower melanin synthesis in lab and clinical observation.
The most eye-catching data comes from acne research, a topical cream with live lactobacilli was well-tolerated and improved skin hydration by 37.3% after 14 days of use and 45.6% after 28 days.
Sources for this ingredient are usually fermented substrates like dairy, soy, or rice.
In general, this is a low-irritation and well-tolerated ingredient that plays nice with most of your routine.
One thing to keep in mind is that live bacteria are hard to keep alive inside of a skincare product. They struggle to survive on the shelf and don't get along with the preservatives that stop products from spoiling.
That's why you'll see ferment and postbiotic forms instead, like Lactobacillus Ferment or Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate.
There isn't a fixed percentage for this ingredient since it is dosed by strain and viable count.
On the fungal acne front: Lactobacillus is a bacterium (not a fungus). The whole culture contains no fatty acids, esters, or oils that Malassezia can feed on so it is considered fungal acne safe.
Learn more about LactobacillusMaltodextrin is a polysaccharide. It is derived from starch such as rice, corn, wheat, or potato starch.
In food, Maltodextrin is used to improve the texture and thicken a product. Due to its structure, it can help create a gel texture. As an emulsion stabilizer, it helps keep the ingredients in a product together.
As a polysaccharide, Maltodextrin has moisturizing properties. Polysaccharides are a type of carbohydrate. The top layer of skin uses polysaccharides to retain water, keeping the skin hydrated.
Maltodextrin is water soluble and has a sweet taste.
Learn more about MaltodextrinPolymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice comes from the roots of the Yacon plant native to South America. It is a skin conditioning ingredient that helps keep skin feeling soft and hydrated.
Yacon roots are naturally loaded with fructooligosaccharides (FOS), a type of prebiotic sugar. Prebiotics like FOS help feed the "good" bacteria on your skin to support a healthy and balanced environment.
This root juice also contains antioxidant compounds (like chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid).
Just so you know, Yacon belongs to the daisy family so be sure to patch test if you have a known allergy to plants in that family.
Learn more about Polymnia Sonchifolia Root JuiceWater. 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
