What's inside

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Show highlights for:

Silk

Water

Skin Conditioning

Butylene Glycol

Humectant
1 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Glycerin

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Methylpropanediol

Solvent

1,2-Hexanediol

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Niacinamide

Smoothing
Niacinamide IconHelps fight Acne IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps brighten skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Carbomer

Emulsion Stabilising
1 / 0

Tromethamine

Buffering

PPG-13-Decyltetradeceth-24

Emulsifying

Propanediol

Solvent
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Adenosine

Skin Conditioning
Helps with Anti-Aging IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Chondrus Crispus Powder

Abrasive
Exfoliant Icon

Agar

Masking

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Emulsion Stabilising

Disodium EDTA

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Emulsion Stabilising

Synthetic Fluorphlogopite

Glycine Soja Peptide

Skin Conditioning
Peptide Icon

Betaine

Humectant
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Panthenol

Skin Conditioning
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Titanium Dioxide

Cosmetic Colorant
0 / 0 UV Protection IconMineral UV Filter IconNon-Reef-Safe Icon

CI 77491

Cosmetic Colorant

Mica

Cosmetic Colorant

Gellan Gum

Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate

Antioxidant
Vitamin C IconAntioxidant IconHelps brighten skin IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Skin Texture Icon

Centella Asiatica Extract

Cleansing
Helps with Anti-Aging IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Hydrolyzed Collagen

Emollient
Helps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Houttuynia Cordata Extract

Skin Conditioning
Helps reduce irritation IconHelps reduce Skin Redness Icon

Tin Oxide

Abrasive
Exfoliant Icon

Ethylhexylglycerin

Skin Conditioning

Squalane

Emollient
1 / 0 Helps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene

Emollient
1 / 2

Benzyl Glycol

Solvent

Lecithin

Emollient
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans

Humectant

Sodium Hyaluronate

Humectant
0 / 0 Hyaluronic Acid IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Caprylyl Glycol

Emollient
Fatty Alcohol Icon

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Emulsifying
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Sh-Polypeptide-121

Skin Conditioning
Peptide Icon

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Masking
Coconut Derived IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Sodium Palmitoyl Sarcosinate

Cleansing

Tocopherol

Antioxidant
0-3 / 0-3 Vitamin E IconAntioxidant IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps brighten skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Caffeoyl Hexapeptide-65

Antimicrobial
Peptide IconAntioxidant Icon

Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer

Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Acetyl Glutamine

Skin Conditioning

Heptasodium Hexacarboxymethyl Dipeptide-12

Skin Conditioning
Peptide Icon

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Bacillus/Folic Acid/Soybean Ferment Extract

Skin Conditioning

Gold

Cosmetic Colorant

Sodium Phosphate

Buffering

Collagen

Moisturising
Helps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17

Skin Conditioning
Peptide Icon

Myristoyl Pentapeptide-4

Skin Conditioning
Peptide Icon

Sh-Polypeptide-123

Skin Protecting
Peptide Icon

Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate

Dextran

Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Benzoic Acid

Masking
Preservative IconMay worsen Eczema Icon

Sodium Benzoate

Masking
Preservative Icon

Hydrolyzed Elastin

Emollient

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-5

Skin Conditioning
Peptide Icon

Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3

Skin Protecting
Peptide Icon

Copper Tripeptide-1

Skin Conditioning
Peptide IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

Skin Conditioning
Peptide IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Skin Texture Icon

Acetyl Hexapeptide-8

Humectant
Peptide IconHelps with Anti-Aging Icon

Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7

Skin Conditioning
Peptide IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Skin Texture Icon

Sh-Decapeptide-7

Antioxidant
Peptide IconAntioxidant Icon

Sh-Octapeptide-4

Antioxidant
Peptide IconAntioxidant Icon

Sh-Oligopeptide-9

Humectant
Peptide Icon

Sh-Pentapeptide-19

Skin Conditioning
Peptide Icon

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1

Skin Conditioning
Peptide IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Skin Texture Icon

Tripeptide-32

Skin Conditioning
Peptide Icon

Sr-(Oligopeptide-91 Clostridium Botulinum Polypeptide-1)

Skin Conditioning
Peptide Icon

Sh-Polypeptide-1

Skin Conditioning
Peptide Icon

Sh-Oligopeptide-2

Skin Conditioning
Peptide Icon

Sh-Polypeptide-11

Peptide IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Sh-Polypeptide-9

Skin Conditioning
Peptide Icon

Sh-Polypeptide-16

Skin Protecting
Peptide Icon

Sh-Polypeptide-22

Skin Conditioning
Peptide IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Dark Spots Icon

Sh-Polypeptide-3

Skin Conditioning
Peptide Icon

Sh-Polypeptide-19

Skin Conditioning
Peptide Icon

Sh-Polypeptide-62

Antioxidant
Peptide IconAntioxidant Icon

Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract

Astringent

Hyaluronic Acid

Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Anemarrhena Asphodeloides Root Extract

Skin Conditioning
Helps reduce irritation Icon

Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate

Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid IconHelps with Anti-Aging Icon

Silk, Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Methylpropanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Carbomer, Tromethamine, PPG-13-Decyltetradeceth-24, Propanediol, Adenosine, Chondrus Crispus Powder, Agar, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Disodium EDTA, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Glycine Soja Peptide, Betaine, Panthenol, Titanium Dioxide, CI 77491, Mica, Gellan Gum, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Centella Asiatica Extract, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Tin Oxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Squalane, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Benzyl Glycol, Lecithin, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sh-Polypeptide-121, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Palmitoyl Sarcosinate, Tocopherol, Caffeoyl Hexapeptide-65, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Acetyl Glutamine, Heptasodium Hexacarboxymethyl Dipeptide-12, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Bacillus/Folic Acid/Soybean Ferment Extract, Gold, Sodium Phosphate, Collagen, Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17, Myristoyl Pentapeptide-4, Sh-Polypeptide-123, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Dextran, Benzoic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Hydrolyzed Elastin, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-5, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3, Copper Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Sh-Decapeptide-7, Sh-Octapeptide-4, Sh-Oligopeptide-9, Sh-Pentapeptide-19, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Tripeptide-32, Sr-(Oligopeptide-91 Clostridium Botulinum Polypeptide-1), Sh-Polypeptide-1, Sh-Oligopeptide-2, Sh-Polypeptide-11, Sh-Polypeptide-9, Sh-Polypeptide-16, Sh-Polypeptide-22, Sh-Polypeptide-3, Sh-Polypeptide-19, Sh-Polypeptide-62, Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Anemarrhena Asphodeloides Root Extract, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate

Reviews

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Overall rating
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What people say
Absorbs Well 100% Expensive 100% Great Value 100%
4.00
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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Skin Conditioning, Solvent

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 
Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning

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 Glycol
Cleansing, Skin Conditioning, Smoothing

Centella Asiatica Extract (Centella) is derived from an herb native to Southeast Asia. It is famous for its anti-inflammatory and soothing properties.

Centella is rich in antioxidants and amino acids, such as Madecassic Acid and Asiaticoside.

Studies show the compounds in centella help with:

The combination of all these properties makes centella effective at soothing, hydrating, and protecting the skin.

Other great components of centella include Vitamin A, vitamin C, several B vitamins, and Asiatic Acid.

Fun fact: Centella has been used as a medicine and in food for many centuries. As a medicine, it is used to treat burns, scratches, and wounds.

Learn more about Centella Asiatica Extract

Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.

This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:

On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.

One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).

Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.

You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.

Learn more about Disodium EDTA
Skin Conditioning

Ethylhexylglycerin 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 Ethylhexylglycerin
Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting

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 Glycerin
Emollient, Humectant, Skin Conditioning

Hydrolyzed collagen has a misleading name because it is actually a mixture of various proteins/peptides. This ingredient has skin hydrating properties.

Collagen is the most abundant type of structural protein found in your body. In your skin, it is responsible for keeping it firm and youthful.

Hydrolyzed Collagen is created by breaking up proteins into smaller peptide bonds. These peptides act as humectants and emollients.

Humectants are great at holding onto water, keeping skin hydrated. Emollients create a thin barrier on the skin to prevent moisture from escaping.

There is ongoing debate about whether hydrolyzed collagen works because it increases skin hydration. Skin hydration is also linked to elasticity and the appearance of wrinkles.

Collagen or peptide ingredients can be used in the morning or night. They will not increase sun sensitivity, but you should always wear sunscreen during the day.

According to a manufacturer, this ingredient is a great hair conditioner as well.

This ingredient can be extracted from different sources, including:

Vegan collagen is derived from yeast, bacteria, or plant sources. Vegan collagen would go by a different INCI name, such as hydrolyzed soy protein.

The results are varied.

A study from 2021 found hydrolyzed collagen increased elasticity and improved wrinkles in 1,125 participants between age 20 and 70. Another study found increased skin thickness in participants between the ages of 45 to 59.

However, It is difficult to prove that oral collagen will end up working on your skin. Many of the studies using hydrolyzed collagen also add several vitamins and nutrients into the test mixture as well.

Further studies are needed at this time.

Learn more about Hydrolyzed Collagen
Skin Conditioning

Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.

There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.

D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.

Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):

Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.

This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.

Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.

This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.

Learn more about Panthenol
Solvent

Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin. 

It’s often used to:

Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.

Learn more about Propanediol
Humectant, Skin Conditioning

Sodium 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 Hyaluronate
Emollient, Skin Conditioning

Squalane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).

It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.

This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.

Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.

Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.

No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).

Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.

This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.

Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.

Read more about squalene with an "e".

Though squalane is often called an oil, it’s technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.

The term “oil-free” isn’t regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.

Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.

A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.

The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.

Learn more about Squalane
Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Water. 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

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