What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningMethyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Acrylates Crosspolymer-2
AbsorbentNiacinamide
Smoothing
Artemisia Vulgaris Oil
Perfuming
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPolyisobutene
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Water, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Acrylates Crosspolymer-2, Niacinamide, Artemisia Vulgaris Oil, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Glyceryl Caprylate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polyisobutene, Adenosine, Sorbitan Oleate, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Glycerin, Tocopherol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Beta-Glucan, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Calcium Sodium Borosilicate
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Caesalpinia Spinosa Fruit Extract
Skin ProtectingKappaphycus Alvarezii Extract
Skin ConditioningMaris Aqua
HumectantSynthetic Fluorphlogopite
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingArginine
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Silica
Abrasive
Phormidium Persicinum Extract
Antioxidant
Tin Oxide
Abrasive
Citric Acid
Buffering
CI 77007
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Alcohol, Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Caesalpinia Spinosa Fruit Extract, Kappaphycus Alvarezii Extract, Maris Aqua, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Arginine, Parfum, Potassium Sorbate, Tocopherol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Silica, Phormidium Persicinum Extract, Tin Oxide, Citric Acid, CI 77007, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, CI 77891
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
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer is a synthetically created polymer. It's used as a film-forming agent and used to thicken the consistency of products.
Think of it as a supportive ingredient that helps your gel-creams feel silky, "cloud cream-like", and spread evenly without being greasy.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel evaluated it (along with 22 other acryloyldimethyltaurate polymers) and concluded it's:
Due to its large molecular size, it sits on the surface of skin rather than penetrating it.
Learn more about Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp CopolymerButylene 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 GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinSodium 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 HyaluronateTocopherol 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
