What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingPolyglyceryl-4 Laurate
EmulsifyingButylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientPolyglyceryl-6 Laurate
EmulsifyingNiacinamide
SmoothingBakuchiol
AntimicrobialSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
HumectantSh-Decapeptide-7
AntioxidantSh-Octapeptide-4
AntioxidantSh-Oligopeptide-9
HumectantSh-Pentapeptide-19
Skin ConditioningBenzyl Glycol
SolventLactobacillus Ferment Lysate
Skin ConditioningArginine
MaskingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAdenosine
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Polyglyceryl-6 Laurate, Niacinamide, Bakuchiol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sh-Decapeptide-7, Sh-Octapeptide-4, Sh-Oligopeptide-9, Sh-Pentapeptide-19, Benzyl Glycol, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Arginine, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, 1,2-Hexanediol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
SmoothingAlpha-Arbutin
AntioxidantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningGlycereth-25 PCA Isostearate
EmulsifyingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Bakuchiol 0.2%
AntimicrobialPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingAdenosine
Skin ConditioningOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
MaskingMacadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
EmollientVitis Vinifera Seed Oil
EmollientSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientCaffeine
Skin ConditioningSh-Oligopeptide-1
Skin ConditioningSh-Polypeptide-1
Skin ConditioningSh-Oligopeptide-2
Skin ConditioningSh-Polypeptide-19
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientAcetyl Hexapeptide-8
HumectantBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicWater, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Alpha-Arbutin, Panthenol, Glycereth-25 PCA Isostearate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Bakuchiol 0.2%, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Adenosine, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Caffeine, Sh-Oligopeptide-1, Sh-Polypeptide-1, Sh-Oligopeptide-2, Sh-Polypeptide-19, Caprylyl Glycol, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Biotin
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
Adenosine is in every living organism. It is one of four components in nucleic acids that helps store our DNA.
Adenosine has many benefits when used. These benefits include hydrating the skin, smoothing skin, and reducing wrinkles. Once applied, adenosine increases collagen production. It also helps with improving firmness and tissue repair.
Studies have found adenosine may also help with wound healing.
In skincare products, Adenosine is usually derived from yeast.
Learn more about AdenosineBakuchiol is a plant-derived antioxidant from the seeds of the Psoralea corylifolia plant. It has antimicrobial, emollient, skin conditioning, and antioxidant properties.
You'll likely see it called a "retinol replacement" but the two are technically not related. This is because bakuchiol is able to flip many of the same switches in your skin cells to tell them to:
1) produce more collagen (type I, III, and IV)
2) activate the same genes retinoids do
Unlike retinoids, this ingredient will not increase photosensitivity and is safe to use during pregnancy (but please still check in with your doctor!).
The flagship clinical trial from Dhaliwal et al. 2019 found 0.5% bakuchiol (twice daily) and 0.5% retinol (once daily) reduced wrinkles and hyperpigmentation equally, but bakuchiol had significantly less irritation.
Systematic reviews also back this up:
Bakuchiol is comparable to retinol for photoaging but with better tolerability. It also has mild antibacterial properties against Cutibacterium acnes and antifungal activity in vitro against Candida and dermatophytes.
The reason bakuchiol works well is due to its structure; it is a meroterpene phenol, or a hybrid molecule. The phenol half acts as an antioxidant while the terpene half is fat-loving. This helps the molecule slip through the skin barrier.
This ingredient is usually used between 0.5-2%. Only one case of contact dermatitis has ever been reported for this ingredient.
Learn more about BakuchiolGlycerin (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 GlycerinNiacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.
And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.
You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.
In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.
If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.
When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.
In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).
Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.
Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.
The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.
Learn more about NiacinamideWater. 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