What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Sea Water
HumectantButylene Glycol
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmulsifyingGlycerin
Humectant
Betaine
Humectant
Hamamelis Virginiana Water
Astringent
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater
Skin ConditioningPolyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Undaria Pinnatifida Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Water
Antioxidant
Carica Papaya Fruit
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Malachite Extract
Antioxidant
Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Carica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningDiospyros Kaki Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Magnesium Aspartate
Skin ConditioningZinc Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Acer Rubrum Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Carica Papaya Leaf Extract
TonicCopper Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Wheat Amino Acids
Skin ConditioningOat Amino Acids
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Sea Water, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Glycerin, Betaine, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Ethylhexylglycerin, Water, Polyglutamic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Undaria Pinnatifida Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Water, Carica Papaya Fruit, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Malachite Extract, Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Diospyros Kaki Fruit Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Tocopherol, Magnesium Aspartate, Zinc Gluconate, Acer Rubrum Bark Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Carica Papaya Leaf Extract, Copper Gluconate, Beta-Glucan, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Glutamic Acid, Wheat Amino Acids, Oat Amino Acids, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Disodium EDTA
Water
Skin ConditioningDisodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingDisodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Acrylates Copolymer
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Surfactant
Laminaria Japonica Extract
Skin Protecting
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Fructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Eclipta Prostrata Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningBeta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Lithospermum Erythrorhizon Root Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Chloride
MaskingCeramide AP
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Decylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningTromethamine
BufferingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingDipropylene Glycol
HumectantHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Citric Acid
Buffering
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Glycerin, Acrylates Copolymer, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Tocopherol, Fructooligosaccharides, Eclipta Prostrata Leaf Extract, Beta-Glucan, Lithospermum Erythrorhizon Root Extract, Sodium Chloride, Ceramide AP, 1,2-Hexanediol, Decylene Glycol, Tromethamine, Sodium Benzoate, Hexylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin
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
Beta-Glucan is a soluble polysaccharide (a chain of glucose sugars) sourced from the cells walls of oats, baker's yeast, mushrooms, and seaweed.
It's a rare ingredient that pulls double-duty as a heavy-duty hydrator and skin-soothing repair agent.
On the surface, it acts as a humectant that holds water in place and reduces moisture loss for a plumper, smoother feel, while its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties make it a great pick for calming redness or sensitive skin
The more interesting story is underneath:
Despite its large molecular size, oat beta-glucan has been shown to penetrate the epidermis and reach the dermis by slipping between skin cells. Here, it interacts with fibroblasts and macrophages to nudge collagen synthesis and support wound repair.
A small 2005 split-face clinical study of 27 subjects found topical beta-glucan produced measurable reductions in wrinkle depth, height, and roughness after 8 weeks of use.
It is worth noting the trial was small and the penetration testing used frozen, irradiated skin so the anti-aging data is encouraging rather than definitive.
This ingredient gets along with pretty much everything and is typically used around 0.1-1%.
Fungal acne: This ingredient is not a food source for the Malassezia yeast because it is a glucose polysaccharide with no fatty acid or ester component.
Learn more about Beta-GlucanEthylhexylglycerin 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 AcidTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
