What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAlpha-Arbutin
AntioxidantPhenethyl Alcohol
MaskingHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPropylene Glycol
HumectantAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin ConditioningTriethanolamine
Buffering1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
BufferingGlycerin
HumectantSodium Acetate
BufferingCitrus Grandis Peel Water
HumectantSodium PCA
HumectantIsopropyl Alcohol
SolventPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningCellulose
AbsorbentErythritol
HumectantCarrageenan
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
HumectantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeWater, Alpha-Arbutin, Phenethyl Alcohol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Propylene Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Triethanolamine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Citric Acid, Glycerin, Sodium Acetate, Citrus Grandis Peel Water, Sodium PCA, Isopropyl Alcohol, Pentylene Glycol, Cellulose, Erythritol, Carrageenan, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningAscorbic Acid
AntioxidantGlycerin
HumectantHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
HumectantHydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningSodium PCA
HumectantErythritol
HumectantChondrus Crispus
MaskingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingFerulic Acid
AntimicrobialSalix Alba Bark Extract
AstringentCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialAlpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
CleansingPhenethyl Alcohol
Masking1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
BleachingParfum
MaskingLimonene
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingBenzyl Salicylate
PerfumingWater, Ascorbic Acid, Glycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium PCA, Erythritol, Chondrus Crispus, Xanthan Gum, Ferulic Acid, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Phenethyl Alcohol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Parfum, Limonene, Linalool, Benzyl Salicylate
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
You might know this ingredient as a sugar substitute in foods. It is a sugar alcohol with humectant properties.
Humectants attract water to your skin (like glycerin or hyaluronic acid).
Fun fact: Erythritol can be naturally found in some fermented foods.
Learn more about ErythritolGlycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.
As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.
Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.
Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.
In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.
This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinThis ingredient is created by putting sodium hyaluronate through hydrolysis.
You might know this as 'mini' or 'ultra low-molecular weight' hyaluronic acid. The small molecule size means it is able to travel deeper in the skin.
According to studies, low molecular-weight hyaluronic acid can:
One study from 2011 found ultra-low weight HA to show pro-inflammatory properties. Another study from 2022 found it to downregulate UV-B induced inflammation.
Hydrolysis is a process of changing a molecule using water or enzymes.
This ingredient is water-soluble.
Learn more about Hydrolyzed Sodium HyaluronateHydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.
This ingredient helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.
This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.
Learn more about HydroxyethylcellulosePhenethyl Alcohol is a colorless and aromatic alohol. It is naturally occuring in essential oils.
The scent of this ingredient is floral and often compared to rose.
Like other alcohols, this ingredient helps prevent the growth of bacteria. However, its main purpose is to impact a fragrance.
Learn more about Phenethyl AlcoholSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate is a type of Hyaluronic Acid.
Hyaluronic Acids help moisturize, soothe, and protect the skin.
Read about common types of Hyaluronic Acid here:
Sodium Hyaluronate
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic Acid
Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.
Like hyaluronic acid, it is great at holding water and acts as a humectant. This makes it a great skin hydrating ingredient.
Sodium Hyaluronate is naturally occurring in our bodies and is mostly found in eye fluid and joints.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer is a type of hyaluronic acid. In fact, it is modified version of hyaluronic acid.
The structure of Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer allows it to stay in the skin's top layer for a longer period of time. This allows for even more hydration and humectant action than hyaluronic acid.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Learn more about Sodium Hyaluronate CrosspolymerSodium 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 PCAWater. 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. 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