What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCoco-Glucoside
CleansingDisodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingSodium Lauroamphoacetate
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningArginine
MaskingAspartic Acid
MaskingGlycine
BufferingAlanine
MaskingSerine
MaskingValine
MaskingProline
Skin ConditioningThreonine
Isoleucine
Skin ConditioningHistidine
HumectantPhenylalanine
MaskingSodium PCA
HumectantSodium Lactate
BufferingTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantSea Salt
AbrasiveHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientPCA
HumectantPhytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Citric Acid
BufferingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeParfum
MaskingLimonene
PerfumingWater, Coco-Glucoside, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Sodium Lauroamphoacetate, Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Proline, Threonine, Isoleucine, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sea Salt, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, PCA, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Citric Acid, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Limonene
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Glycinate
CleansingSodium Lauroamphoacetate
CleansingAcrylates Copolymer
Glycerin
HumectantSodium Chloride
MaskingCocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingPanthenol
Skin ConditioningDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
HumectantSqualane
EmollientPhenylalanine
MaskingTyrosine
MaskingLeucine
Skin ConditioningIsoleucine
Skin ConditioningValine
MaskingAlanine
MaskingGlycine
BufferingProline
Skin ConditioningGlutamic Acid
HumectantSerine
MaskingThreonine
Aspartic Acid
MaskingArginine
MaskingHistidine
HumectantLysine
Skin ConditioningXylitylglucoside
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantTheobroma Cacao Seed Extract
AntioxidantC12-13 Alkyl Lactate
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningGlycol Distearate
EmollientHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingWater, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Sodium Lauroamphoacetate, Acrylates Copolymer, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Panthenol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Squalane, Phenylalanine, Tyrosine, Leucine, Isoleucine, Valine, Alanine, Glycine, Proline, Glutamic Acid, Serine, Threonine, Aspartic Acid, Arginine, Histidine, Lysine, Xylitylglucoside, Butylene Glycol, Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract, C12-13 Alkyl Lactate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycol Distearate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Hexylene Glycol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alanine is an amino acid and is already found in the human body. Our skin uses alanine to build collagen, elastin, and keratin.
Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid. This just means our bodies can product a bit on its own, but sometimes needs a little boost from food sources.
It is a part of your skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.
Here's an interesting thing about Arginine: your skin converts it into urea through the Krebs-Henseleit urea cycle. Urea is one of the most effective humectants your skin naturally produces.
A clinical study showed applying 2.5% arginine hydrochloride to atopic dermatitis skin showed significant urea levels in the stratum corneum and improved moisture in just four weeks.
Arginine is also a precursor to nitric oxide; nitric oxide improves microcirculation and supports wound healing and collagen synthesis.
One study found that an amino acid complex containing Arginine reduced skin irritation, improved hydration, and accelerated skin repair in clinical / in-vivo studies.
Arginine itself is an amino acid and not a fatty acid, oil, or ester. On its own, it's not a direct food source for Malassezia, or the yeast that causes fungal acne.
Learn more about ArginineAspartic Acid is an amino acid that our bodies produce naturally. It is an antioxidant.
Our body uses Aspartic Acid to help build collagen and elastin. It also plays a role in hydrating skin.
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 GlycerinGlycine is the smallest amino acid and a key building block of collagen. It's part if your skin's Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.
A study from 2022 found that an amino acid complex featuring taurine, arginine, and glycine significantly reduced skin irritation, improved redness, and accelerated the skin repair process.
Histidine is a semi-essential amino acid used by our bodies to create protein. It has humectant and skin conditioning properties.
Our bodies use histidine to create filaggrin - filaggrin is a structural protein that the skin uses in maintaining skin barrier.
One study found histidine and carnosine to be a dynamic duo for your skin:
Oral histidine has also been found to help with filaggrin-deficit skin disorders such as atopic dermatitis.
Why is it considered a semi-essential amino acid? This is because adults are able to create it but children must get it from their diet.
Learn more about HistidineIsoleucine is an amino acid that helps reinforce our skin barrier. This amino acid plays a role in creating protein for the body.
Fun fact: Isoleucine is found in meat, fish, dairy, legumes, and nuts.
Phenylalanine is an amino acid. It is a skin soothing and hydrating ingredient. Amino acids play a crucial role in wound healing and skin hydration.
This ingredient is also used to help even out skin tone due to its ability to disrupt the melanin production process.
Two structures of phenylalanine exist: L-phenylalanine and D-phenylalanine. L-phenylalanine is essential, this means our bodies cannot produce it naturally and we must get it from foods. Our bodies convert D-phenylalanine to neurotransmitters, and D-phenylalanine is found in our bodies naturally.
Some foods that contain L-phenylalanine include eggs, soybeans, beef, milk.
Learn more about PhenylalanineProline is a non-essential amino acid, meaning your body can make it on its own. In skincare, it is a skin conditioning ingredient that keeps skin soft and hydrated.
It makes up about 23% of the collagen molecule (collagen is the protein responsible for keeping your skin firm) and is involved in your skin's natural hyaluronic acid production. When applied topically, proline can penetrate the skin fairly well due to its small molecular size.
Reviews of this ingredient have found it to be neither a dermal irritant nor a sensitizer.
Fun fact: Proline can be found in protein-rich foods like meat, fish, eggs, and dairy.
Learn more about ProlineSerine is a non-essential amino acid (your body makes it on its own!). It is a major player in your skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.
Serine is one of your NMF's most abundant components that works as a skin-identical humectant. Its hydroxyl group grabs onto water molecules to boost hydration without any heaviness or occlusion.
Research on a hydrogel with serine confirmed this serine got delivered to your stratum corneum and demonstrated enhanced skin moisturization.
Interestingly serine also helps your skin produce filaggrin, a protein that keeps your skin barrier strong and used to create collagen.
Learn more about SerineWe don't have a description for Sodium Lauroamphoacetate yet.
Threonine is an amino-acid. It helps hydrate the skin and has antioxidant benefits.
Our skin uses threonine for creating collagen and elastin. Humans are not able to create threonine and must get it through eating foods such as fish, lentils, poultry, sesame seeds, and more.
Valine is an essential amino acid. It is used by our bodies for tissue repair and muscle growth.
An essential amino acid is one in which our bodies cannot naturally produce so we must get them through diet. Foods such as eggs, dairy, red meat, and fish contain valine.
This ingredient can either be derived from an animal product or be synthetically created.
Learn more about ValineWater. 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