What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Methylpropanediol
SolventCopper Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingHydrolyzed Ulva Lactuca Extract
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAcetyl Hexapeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Nicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide-47
Resveratrol
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingSynthetic Wax
Abrasive
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
C20-40 Pareth-10
EmulsifyingHydroxyethyl Behenamidopropyl Dimonium Chloride
Polyquaternium-67
Water, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Methylpropanediol, Copper Tripeptide-1, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Hydrolyzed Ulva Lactuca Extract, Allantoin, Panthenol, Xanthan Gum, Acetyl Hexapeptide-1, Nicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide-47, Resveratrol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Synthetic Wax, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, C20-40 Pareth-10, Hydroxyethyl Behenamidopropyl Dimonium Chloride, Polyquaternium-67
Water
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide 8%
Smoothing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract 6%
Skin Conditioning
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Alpha-Arbutin 3%
Antioxidant
Tranexamic Acid 2%
Astringent
Diglycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Masking
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Corn Starch
HumectantBeta Vulgaris Root Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingPolyacrylamide
Acetyl Glycyl Beta-Alanine
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Methylpropanediol
SolventChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Polyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Magnesium Silicate
Citric Acid
Buffering
Disodium EDTA
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingLauryl Alcohol Diphosphonic Acid
Emulsion Stabilising1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Cyclotetrasiloxane
Emollient
Cystoseira Tamariscifolia Extract
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
P-Anisic Acid
Masking
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Water, Niacinamide 8%, Butylene Glycol, Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract 6%, Cyclopentasiloxane, Alpha-Arbutin 3%, Tranexamic Acid 2%, Diglycerin, Dimethicone, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hydrolyzed Corn Starch, Beta Vulgaris Root Extract, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Polyacrylamide, Acetyl Glycyl Beta-Alanine, Allantoin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Methylpropanediol, Chlorphenesin, Polyglutamic Acid, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Lauric Acid, Sodium Magnesium Silicate, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Laureth-7, Lauryl Alcohol Diphosphonic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cyclotetrasiloxane, Cystoseira Tamariscifolia Extract, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hyaluronate, P-Anisic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Pentylene Glycol, Potassium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Reviews
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.
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 preservatives
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 AllantoinGlycerin (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 GlycerinMethylpropanediol is a synthetic solvent and humectant.
As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients, helping to evenly distribute ingredients throughout the product. This ingredient has also been shown to have antimicrobial properties which makes it a preservative booster.
Methylpropanediol is able to add a bit of moisture to the skin. It also helps other ingredients be better absorbed into the skin, such as salicylic acid.
Learn more about MethylpropanediolPentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolSodium 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
