What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Sphingolipids
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Ahnfeltiopsis Concinna Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingP-Anisic Acid
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Water, Sodium Hyaluronate, Propanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Phospholipids, Sphingolipids, Panthenol, Ahnfeltiopsis Concinna Extract, Glycerin, Polysorbate 20, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, P-Anisic Acid, Tocopherol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethoxydiglycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Yeast Extract
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingLecithin
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingCellulose
Absorbent
Fructose
Humectant
Glucose
Humectant
Inulin
Skin Conditioning
Raspberry Ketone
Masking
Sodium Citrate
BufferingPolyglucuronic Acid
Skin ConditioningDehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Benzyl Glycol
SolventEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Yeast Extract, Propanediol, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Lecithin, Xanthan Gum, Cellulose Gum, Cellulose, Fructose, Glucose, Inulin, Raspberry Ketone, Sodium Citrate, Polyglucuronic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Benzyl Alcohol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid (HA) that is broken down into lower molecular weight fragments.
It's a humectant that pulls and holds water in the skin to help with hydration, plumpness, and reduce transepidermal water loss.
Because hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid is smaller in size, it can slip past your outermost layer of skin more easily than full-sized HA.
Most formulations will combine all sizes to get the best of both worlds.
Typical usage levels range from 0.01-1%. Any percentage higher than 2% might become goopy and tacky.
Learn more about Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic AcidPropanediol 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 Citrate is the sodium salts of citric acid. In skincare, it is used to alter pH levels and acts as a preservative.
Its main functions are to maintain the pH of a product and neutralize metal ions.
The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome; normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5).
Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.
Learn more about Sodium CitrateSodium 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 Hyaluronate Crosspolymer is a crosslinked version of sodium hyaluronate. This just means it's linked into a 3D mesh network that lets it be more stable and sit on skin as a cohesive, gel-like film rather than sinking into skin.
A 2016 human skin study found crosslinked HA increased epidermal water content by 7.6% over the control group and reduced transepidermal water loss by 27.8%.
A follow-up clinical trial found that a topical crosslinked HA serum applied after fillers, microneedling, or chemical peels was well-tolerated and enhanced skin quality at 14 / 28 days.
More recent research suggests that concentrations as low as 0.03% can act as a penetration enhancer for other skincare actives.
Learn more about Sodium Hyaluronate CrosspolymerWater. 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
