What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Isohexadecane
EmollientC32-36 Isoalkyl Stearate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Soluble Collagen
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Elastin
EmollientBis-PEG-12 Dimethicone Beeswax
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Water, Glycerin, Potassium Sorbate, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Phenoxyethanol, Isohexadecane, C32-36 Isoalkyl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Soluble Collagen, Hydrolyzed Elastin, Bis-PEG-12 Dimethicone Beeswax, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Glucoside, Stearic Acid, Zea Mays Starch, Niacinamide, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caprylyl Glycol, Allantoin, Sodium Hydroxide, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningSqualane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Isostearyl Neopentanoate
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Oil
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-100 Stearate
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Polyethylene
Abrasive
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Hordeum Vulgare Extract
EmollientSigesbeckia Orientalis Extract
Skin ConditioningLactis Proteinum
Skin ConditioningCaffeine
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Sucrose
Humectant
Petrolatum
Emollient
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Acetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Propylene Glycol Dicaprate
EmollientHelianthus Annuus Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Polymethacrylate
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Dimethicone Crosspolymer-3
Skin Conditioning
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingPEG-8
HumectantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Squalane, Glycerin, Isostearyl Neopentanoate, Butyrospermum Parkii Oil, Butylene Glycol, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Polyethylene, Glyceryl Stearate, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Hordeum Vulgare Extract, Sigesbeckia Orientalis Extract, Lactis Proteinum, Caffeine, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Sucrose, Petrolatum, Sodium Polyacrylate, Acetyl Glucosamine, Caprylyl Glycol, Propylene Glycol Dicaprate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Dimethicone Crosspolymer-3, Hexylene Glycol, PEG-8, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, commonly known as Argireline or Acetyl Hexapeptide-3, is a popular peptide in skincare. Itās often referred to as a āBotox-likeā ingredient because it helps reduce muscle movement.
By relaxing these micro-movements, Argireline may help minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. That said, itās not as powerful as Botox, and research on its long-term effectiveness is still limited.
Beyond smoothing, Argireline may also support collagen production. Collagen is the protein that helps keep your skin firm, bouncy, and well-hydrated by strengthening the skin barrier.
So while Argireline isnāt a miracle fix, it can be a helpful addition to a routine focused on both prevention and skin health.
Read more about other common types of peptides here:
Learn more about Acetyl Hexapeptide-8Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearatePeg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. As an emollient, it helps keep skin soft by trapping moisture in. On the other hand, emulsifiers help prevent oil and water from separating in a product.
PEGS are a hydrophilic polyether compound . There are 100 ethylene oxide monomers in Peg-100 Stearate. Peg-100 Stearate is polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid.
Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.
This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.
Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.
You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.
Learn more about Potassium SorbateSodium 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 HyaluronateWater. 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
