What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycolic Acid
Buffering
Rosa Damascena Flower Water
Masking
Centaurea Cyanus Flower Water
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water
MaskingPropanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Triethanolamine
BufferingAminomethyl Propanol
BufferingPanax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract
Antioxidant
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Alanine
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Serine
Masking
Valine
MaskingIsoleucine
Skin ConditioningProline
Skin Conditioning
Threonine
Histidine
Humectant
Phenylalanine
Masking
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Arginine
Masking
PCA
Humectant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Fructose
Humectant
Glucose
Humectant
Sucrose
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Hexyl Nicotinate
EmollientDextrin
AbsorbentCitric Acid
Buffering
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Gellan Gum
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Sodium Chloride
MaskingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Water, Glycolic Acid, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Centaurea Cyanus Flower Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water, Propanediol, Glycerin, Triethanolamine, Aminomethyl Propanol, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract, Aspartic Acid, Alanine, Glycine, Serine, Valine, Isoleucine, Proline, Threonine, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Glutamic Acid, Arginine, PCA, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Fructose, Glucose, Sucrose, Urea, Hexyl Nicotinate, Dextrin, Citric Acid, Polysorbate 20, Gellan Gum, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sodium Chloride, Hexylene Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol
Water
Skin ConditioningCitrus Nobilis Fruit Extract
MaskingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Citrus Tangerina Extract
TonicNiacinamide
Smoothing
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Vinyldimethicone
Trisiloxane
Skin Conditioning
Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate
Emollient
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Silica
Abrasive
Betaine
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Arginine
Masking
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCoptis Japonica Extract
AntimicrobialAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Citrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Chondrus Crispus Powder
Abrasive
Agar
MaskingDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Tromethamine
BufferingGellan Gum
Niacin
SmoothingRiboflavin
Cosmetic ColorantBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicAscorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Pantothenic Acid
Skin ConditioningFolic Acid
Skin ConditioningThiamine Hcl
MaskingCarnitine Hcl
HumectantDisodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitral
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Water, Citrus Nobilis Fruit Extract, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Citrus Tangerina Extract, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Vinyldimethicone, Trisiloxane, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Centella Asiatica Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Silica, Betaine, Stearic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Arginine, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Coptis Japonica Extract, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Allantoin, Chondrus Crispus Powder, Agar, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Titanium Dioxide, Tromethamine, Gellan Gum, Niacin, Riboflavin, Biotin, Ascorbic Acid, Tocopherol, Pantothenic Acid, Folic Acid, Thiamine Hcl, Carnitine Hcl, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citral, Limonene
Reviews
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
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 ArginineGellan Gum is a high-molecular weight heteropolysaccharide gum. It is created by the process of pure-culture fermentation with the bacterium Pseudomonas elodea.
Gellan Gum is used to stabilize products. This helps improve the texture, consistency, and shelf life.
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 GlycerinWater. 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
