What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantHydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningGlycine
BufferingSerine
MaskingGlutamic Acid
HumectantAspartic Acid
MaskingLeucine
Skin ConditioningAlanine
MaskingLysine
Skin ConditioningArginine
MaskingTyrosine
MaskingPhenylalanine
MaskingProline
Skin ConditioningThreonine
Valine
MaskingIsoleucine
Skin ConditioningHistidine
HumectantAscorbic Acid
AntioxidantSaccharide Isomerate
HumectantHaematococcus Pluvialis Extract
AntioxidantCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantTocopherol
AntioxidantHexapeptide-11
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin ConditioningAnanas Sativus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharomyces/Magnesium Ferment
Saccharomyces/Copper Ferment
Skin ConditioningSaccharomyces/Silicon Ferment
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantGlyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientSucrose Stearate
EmollientLecithin
EmollientPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
EmulsifyingSodium Citrate
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCitric Acid
BufferingCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientSodium Hydroxide
BufferingLactobacillus Ferment
Skin ConditioningLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
AntimicrobialHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Propanediol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycine, Serine, Glutamic Acid, Aspartic Acid, Leucine, Alanine, Lysine, Arginine, Tyrosine, Phenylalanine, Proline, Threonine, Valine, Isoleucine, Histidine, Ascorbic Acid, Saccharide Isomerate, Haematococcus Pluvialis Extract, Ceramide NP, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Hexapeptide-11, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract, Saccharomyces/Magnesium Ferment, Saccharomyces/Copper Ferment, Saccharomyces/Silicon Ferment, Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Glyceryl Caprylate, Sucrose Stearate, Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Xanthan Gum, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Sodium Citrate, Carbomer, Citric Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Hydroxide, Lactobacillus Ferment, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Hydroxyacetophenone, CI 77491
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
HumectantDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantSucrose Polystearate
EmollientC10-18 Triglycerides
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
SmoothingPassiflora Edulis Seed Oil
EmollientPolyamide-5
Skin ConditioningBetula Alba Bark Extract
MaskingEquisetum Arvense Extract
AstringentHedera Helix Leaf/Stem Extract
AntimicrobialFucus Vesiculosus Extract
EmollientCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingGlycine Soja Oil
EmollientYeast Extract
Skin ConditioningBacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningHexapeptide-11
Skin ConditioningOligopeptide-1
Skin ConditioningOligopeptide-2
Skin ConditioningOligopeptide-3
Skin ConditioningAscorbyl Glucoside
AntioxidantAcetyl Glutamine
Skin ConditioningFolic Acid
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantLecithin
EmollientTocopherol
AntioxidantSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingButylene Glycol
HumectantHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingT-Butyl Alcohol
PerfumingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientWater, Propylene Glycol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glycerin, Sucrose Polystearate, C10-18 Triglycerides, Cetyl Alcohol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil, Polyamide-5, Betula Alba Bark Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Hedera Helix Leaf/Stem Extract, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Glycine Soja Oil, Yeast Extract, Bacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Hexapeptide-11, Oligopeptide-1, Oligopeptide-2, Oligopeptide-3, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Acetyl Glutamine, Folic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lecithin, Tocopherol, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Butylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, T-Butyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycolDicaprylyl Carbonate comes from carbonic acid and caprylyl alcohol, a fatty alcohol. It is an emollient and gives skin a velvet feel. The sources of Dicaprylyl Carbonate may be synthetic or from animals.
As an emollient, Dicaprylyl Carbonate creates a film on the skin. This film traps moisture in, keeping your skin soft and hydrated.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinThis synthetic peptide is known as a signal peptide. Signal peptides tell your skin to create more collagen, elastin and protein.
Hexapeptide-11 is composed of several amino acids, including alanine.
Lecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
Learn more about LecithinSodium 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 HyaluronateTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
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. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water