What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Tetrapeptide-21
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3
Skin Protecting
N-Prolyl Palmitoyl Tripeptide-56 Acetate
Skin Conditioning
Hexapeptide-9
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-9
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-40
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Hexapeptide-38
Skin Conditioning
Tetrapeptide-30
Skin Conditioning
Alpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Water, Propanediol, Tetrapeptide-21, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3, N-Prolyl Palmitoyl Tripeptide-56 Acetate, Hexapeptide-9, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-9, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-40, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2, Acetyl Hexapeptide-38, Tetrapeptide-30, Alpha-Arbutin, Sodium PCA, Sodium Hyaluronate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydroxyacetophenone
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.Â
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 preservativesÂ
This synthetic peptide is made up of four amino acids designed to calm redness and irritation. It also goes by the name Telangyn.
Your skin has a built-in defense system that fights off bacteria and responds to damage; part of that system involves a natural peptide called LL-37. LL-37 usually does its job and moves on, but sometimes it can go into overdrive (especially in reactive or rosacea skin) and triggers too much inflammation. This is where redness, visible blood vessels, and irritation come from.
That's where Acetyl Tetrapeptide-40 comes in. It turns down the signals that cause this inflammatory overreaction. As a bonus, keeping inflammation in check also protects collagen and other structural proteins from being broken down by enzymes.
According to a manufacturer, this ingredient also calms UV-related inflammation and helps reduce excess pigment production.
This ingredient is considered safe for all skin types and has been shown to work at low concentrations (0.05%).
Learn more about Acetyl Tetrapeptide-40Caprylyl 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 GlycolHydroxyacetophenone is antioxidant with skin conditioning and soothing properties. It also boosts the efficiency of preservatives.
Though naturally occuring in Norwegian spruce needles, this ingredient is usually synthetically created.
This ingredient is not irritating or sensitizing. Recent research also suggests it may have skin-brightening effects through tyrosinase inhibition.
Learn more about HydroxyacetophenonePropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.Â
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 PropanediolSodium 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 PCA is the sodium salt of pyroglutamic acid. It is naturally occurring in our skin's natural moisturizing factors where it works to maintain hydration.
The PCA stands for pyrrolidone carboxylic acid, a natural amino acid derivative.
This ingredient has skin conditioning, anti-inflammatory, and humectant properties. Humectants help hydrate your skin by drawing moisture from the air. This helps keep your skin moisturized.
Learn more about Sodium PCATetrapeptide-21 is a signal peptide. It helps boost collagen, hyaluronic acid, and fibronectin.
Fibronectin is a protein found in our skin's extracellular matrix that plays a role in cell adhesion, tissue repair, and wound healing.
Tetrapeptide-21 works by mimicking skin-protein breakdown signals, telling the skin to produce new structural proteins like collagen.
Preliminary studies show it works better than matrixyl and produced twice the amount of collagen in lab tests.
Learn more about Tetrapeptide-21Water. 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
