What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin ConditioningBetaine
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialSaccharomyces/Viscum Album Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Collagen
EmollientPalmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantLactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharomyces/Imperata Cylindrica Root Ferment Extract
EmollientDisodium EDTA
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
HumectantCitric Acid
BufferingWater, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Panthenol, Betaine, Glycerin, Chlorphenesin, Saccharomyces/Viscum Album Ferment Extract, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Saccharomyces/Imperata Cylindrica Root Ferment Extract, Disodium EDTA, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Citric Acid
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract
PerfumingCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingHouttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin ConditioningWater
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantGlycereth-26
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
HumectantDisodium EDTA
Allantoin
Skin ConditioningAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Sodium Citrate
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering4-Terpineol
MaskingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingHydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine
EmulsifyingSucrose Stearate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientAsiaticoside
AntioxidantAsiatic Acid
Skin ConditioningMadecassic Acid
Skin ConditioningMadecassoside
AntioxidantMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Water, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycerin, Glycereth-26, Butylene Glycol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Disodium EDTA, Allantoin, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, 4-Terpineol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, Sucrose Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Madecassic Acid, Madecassoside
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
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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