What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningOrbignya Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Zea Mays Oil
Emulsifying
Propanediol
Solvent
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Corn Starch Modified
AbsorbentCurcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Glycolipids
Skin ConditioningGlycosphingolipids
EmollientHydrolyzed Yeast Extract
Skin ConditioningLecithin
Emollient
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingSodium Stearoyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingAlpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Glucose
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Rhamnose
HumectantTocopherol
Antioxidant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Glucuronic Acid
Buffering
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Zea Mays Oil, Propanediol, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycerin, Behenyl Alcohol, Niacinamide, Butylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Corn Starch Modified, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Glycolipids, Glycosphingolipids, Hydrolyzed Yeast Extract, Lecithin, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Glucose, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Rhamnose, Tocopherol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Glucuronic Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Polyacrylate, Xanthan Gum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Diglycerin
Humectant
Vegetable Oil
Skin Conditioning
C12-16 Alcohols
EmollientGlycol Palmitate
Emulsifying
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin Conditioning
Silica
Abrasive
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Propanediol
Solvent
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Disodium Acetyl Glucosamine Phosphate
Skin ConditioningRhamnose
HumectantCaffeyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Glucose
Humectant
Glucuronic Acid
Buffering
Water, Glycerin, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Diglycerin, Vegetable Oil, C12-16 Alcohols, Glycol Palmitate, Cetyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Silica, Pentylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Polyacrylate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Palmitic Acid, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Propanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Disodium Acetyl Glucosamine Phosphate, Rhamnose, Caffeyl Glucoside, Glucose, Glucuronic Acid
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
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide is a prebiotic. It prevents harmful bacteria from growing on skin by keeping the skin's microbiome in balance.
Another benefit of this ingredient is its antioxidant properties. Antioxidants protect our skin from oxidative damage.
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, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolGlucose is a simple sugar (a monosaccharide). In skincare, it is mostly a humectant and skin conditioning agent.
Mechanistically, it has multiple hydroxyl groups that hydrogen-bond to water. This pulls moisture into the upper layers of skin to keep the surface soft and hydrated.
It's worth knowing sugars are already a natural component of the skin's NMF (natural moisturizing factor) so it's a molecule that your stratum corneum is well-acquainted with.
Just so you know, glucose is hydrophilic (water-loving) and the stratum corneum is a strong barrier to hydrophilic compounds. This just means penetration is slow and most of the action is happening on the surface.
Gram-to-gram, glucose is not as efficient as a humectant as glycerin. This is why you'll likely see glycose paired with stronger humectants for a bigger hydration payoff.
In skincare, glucose is typically derived from corn or other starch sources.
Learn more about GlucoseGlucuronic Acid is a type of sugar used by our bodies to expel harmful substances via urine. In skincare, it is used as a humectant to boost skin moisture.
Fun fact: This ingredient is a precursor of ascorbic acid. It is also found in fermentation products such as kombucha.
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 GlycerinPentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPropanediol 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 PropanediolWe don't have a description for Rhamnose yet.
Sodium Polyacrylate is the sodium salt of polyacrylic acid. It is used as an absorber, emollient, and stabilizer.
This ingredient is a super-absorbent polymer - meaning it can absorb 100 to 1000 times its mass in water. As an emollient, Sodium Polyacrylate helps soften and soothe skin. Emollients work by creating a barrier to trap moisture in. This helps keep your skin hydrated.
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
