What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSalicylic Acid
Masking
Fagus Sylvatica Bud Extract
TonicSodium Hydroxide
BufferingParfum
Masking
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Leontopodium Alpinum Flower/Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningLinalool
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Malva Sylvestris Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningBuddleja Officinalis Flower Extract
UV FilterBenzoic Acid
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Limonene
Perfuming
Leontopodium Alpinum Callus Culture Extract
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, Alcohol Denat., Sodium Hyaluronate, Benzyl Alcohol, Xanthan Gum, Salicylic Acid, Fagus Sylvatica Bud Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Parfum, Adenosine, Leontopodium Alpinum Flower/Leaf Extract, Linalool, Citronellol, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Malva Sylvestris Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Buddleja Officinalis Flower Extract, Benzoic Acid, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Sorbic Acid, Limonene, Leontopodium Alpinum Callus Culture Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate
Emulsifying
Pvp
Emulsion StabilisingSilica
Abrasive
Sorbitol
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Pullulan
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Citric Acid
Buffering
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Leontopodium Alpinum Flower/Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMoringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Leontopodium Alpinum Callus Culture Extract
Antioxidant
Water, Propanediol, Alcohol Denat., Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Pvp, Silica, Sorbitol, Phenoxyethanol, Niacinamide, Pullulan, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Xanthan Gum, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Citric Acid, Adenosine, Leontopodium Alpinum Flower/Leaf Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Tocopherol, Leontopodium Alpinum Callus Culture Extract
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Adenosine is in every living organism. It is one of four components in nucleic acids that helps store our DNA.
Adenosine has many benefits when used. These benefits include hydrating the skin, smoothing skin, and reducing wrinkles. Once applied, adenosine increases collagen production. It also helps with improving firmness and tissue repair.
Studies have found adenosine may also help with wound healing.
In skincare products, Adenosine is usually derived from yeast.
Learn more about AdenosineAlcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
The "denat" part just means "denatured"; common denaturants include Denatonium Benzoate, t-butyl alcohol, and Diethyl Phthalate. This step makes the alcohol undrinkable (and lets brand skip taxes related to beverage alcohol).
This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue to constrict pores and dry out your skin.
However, alcohol denat. is not all that bad.
Due to its low molecular weight, alcohol denat. tends to evaporate quickly. One study on pig skin found half of applied alcohol evaporated in 10 seconds and less than 3% stayed on skin.
This also helps other ingredients become better absorbed upon application.
Studies are conflicted about whether this ingredient causes skin dehydration. One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased skin dryness and irritation. Another study found irritation only occurs if your skin is already damaged.
Small amounts of alcohol are generally tolerated by oily skin or people who live in humid environments.
The rule of thumb is this ingredient will probably not affect your skin much if it is near the end of an ingredients list.
One thing to note:
People with ALDH2 (aldehyde dehydrogenase 2) deficiency may experience skin irritation from continued alcohol use. About 8% of the world's population have this deficiency.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has determined denatured alcohols to be safe for use in concentrations between 0.05% and 12% (depending on which denaturant is used).
Also...
This ingredient has antimicrobial and solvent properties.
The antimicrobial property helps preserve products and increase their shelf life. As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients.
Look for formulas that contain glycerin, hyaluronic acid, or panthenol if you want to offset any drying effect.
This ingredient will trip away your skin's natural oils/lipids that help it lock in moisture. This can worsen dryness, trigger eczema flare-ups, and aggravate rosacea.
Be sure to patch test any product with this ingredient if you have dry or sensitive skin, eczema, or rosacea.
Learn more about Alcohol Denat.Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydrolyzed Rice Protein is protein extracted from rice. This ingredient is rich in antioxidants and peptides.
Studies show this ingredient may help with blocking the melanin creation process when skin is exposed to UV.
This ingredient (LACCE) is a plant cell derived from the alpine plant, edelweiss. It is a humectant with antioxidant and skin protecting properties.
In-vitro and in-vivo research shows LACCE to exhibit strong antioxidant effects, including protecting skin against UVB induced stress. It also appears to support collagen production, improved skin elasticity, and wrinkle reduction.
Clinical application in humans shows topical use of LACCE can improve periorbital wrinkles (around the eyes), dermal density, and skin elasticity.
Cellular studies also suggest potential anti-inflammatory effects and upregulation of genes associated with barrier formation.
As with many plant extracts, a small number of people may experience sensitivity due to allergies.
Learn more about Leontopodium Alpinum Callus Culture ExtractThis ingredient comes from the edelweiss plant. It has skin conditioning properties.
Phytochemical studies show edelweiss contains compounds such as leontopodic acids, flavonoids, caffeic acids that have strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.
Clinical research on leontopodium alpinum callus culture extract showed topical application in humans demonstrates improvements on wrinkles, skin elasticity, and dermal density. In vitro and cell-based studies support anti-inflammatory effects.
Learn more about Leontopodium Alpinum Flower/Leaf ExtractMoringa Oleifera Seed Oil is the oil expressed from the seeds of Moringa oleifera plant. It is more commonly known as Moringa seed oil.
Moringa seeds have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and skin hydrating properties. These seeds are rich in oils, proteins, monounsaturated fats, and tocopherols.
As an emollient, moringa seed oil helps trap moisture in the skin by creating a film on top. This helps keep your skin hydrated and soft.
Many compounds in moringa seed oil are antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. These compounds include Vitamin E. , catechins, ferulic acid, and more.
Another compound found in Moringa seed oil is oleic acid.
Moringa trees are native to the Himalayan mountains.
This ingredient may not be fungal-acne safe.
Learn more about Moringa Oleifera Seed OilPentylene 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.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 HyaluronateWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
