What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Lecithin
Emollient
Glycine Soja Sterols
Emollient
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Acmella Oleracea Extract
Skin ProtectingButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Phenethyl Alcohol
Masking1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Sodium Citrate
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Behenyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Lecithin, Glycine Soja Sterols, Retinol, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Dimethicone, Acmella Oleracea Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Saccharide Isomerate, Sodium PCA, Ceramide NP, Niacinamide, Phenethyl Alcohol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Xanthan Gum, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Sodium Citrate
Water
Skin ConditioningAlpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Triethanolamine
Buffering1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Acetate
BufferingCitrus Grandis Peel Water
HumectantSodium PCA
Humectant
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Cellulose
Absorbent
Erythritol
Humectant
Carrageenan
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, 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
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
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 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 HyaluronatePhenethyl 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:
Learn more about Sodium Acetylated HyaluronateSodium 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 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. 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
