What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Ethylhexyl Olivate
Skin Conditioning
Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Borago Officinalis Seed Oil
Emollient
Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingSqualane
Emollient
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract
Antioxidant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Trehalose
Humectant
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingPolyquaternium-51
Skin Conditioning
Triacetin
AntimicrobialCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Phytate
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingAlgin
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Methylpropanediol
SolventPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingFarnesol
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Ethylhexyl Olivate, Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Squalane, Bisabolol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract, Sodium PCA, Urea, Trehalose, Hexylene Glycol, Polyquaternium-51, Triacetin, Caprylyl Glycol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Phytate, Cellulose Gum, Algin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Methylpropanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Alcohol, Sodium Hydroxide, Farnesol
Water
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
PEG/PPG/Polybutylene Glycol-8/5/3 Glycerin
HumectantMethyl Gluceth-20
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Parfum
Masking
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinSodium 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 HyaluronateSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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
