What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientPropanediol
Solvent
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Polymethyl Methacrylate
Tromethamine
BufferingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Dextran Sulfate
Gel Forming
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAnhydroxylitol
Humectant
Isohexadecane
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Trehalose
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Xylitol
Humectant
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Glucose
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Serine
Masking
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Algin
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Disodium Phosphate
BufferingGlyceryl Polyacrylate
Pullulan
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Potassium Phosphate
BufferingWater, Butylene Glycol, Isononyl Isononanoate, Propanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Dimethicone, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Tromethamine, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Dextran Sulfate, Xylitylglucoside, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Anhydroxylitol, Isohexadecane, Glycerin, Trehalose, Urea, Xylitol, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Polysorbate 80, Glucose, Pentylene Glycol, Serine, Sorbitan Oleate, Algin, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium Phosphate, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Pullulan, Sodium Hyaluronate, Potassium Phosphate
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Myristyl Myristate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Cetearyl Isononanoate
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Xylitol
Humectant
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicSodium Benzoate
Masking
Steareth-20
CleansingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Chlorhexidine Digluconate
Antimicrobial
N-Hydroxysuccinimide
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Dipeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Chrysin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Citrate
BufferingWater, Propanediol, Glycerin, Myristyl Myristate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Squalane, Xylitol, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sclerotium Gum, Biotin, Sodium Benzoate, Steareth-20, Potassium Sorbate, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Dipeptide-2, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Chrysin, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Citrate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.Â
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolSodium 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 WaterXylitol is a humectant and prebiotic. It can help with dry skin.
In studies, xylitol has been shown to improve dry skin. It decreased transepidermal water loss, or when water passes through the skin and evaporates. Xylitol also showed to help improve the biomechanical properties of the skin barrier.
The prebiotic property of xylitol may also help reinforce our skin's natural microbiome. Having a healthy microbiome prevents infection by bad bacteria and helps with hydration.
As a humectant, Xylitol helps draw moisture from both the air and from deeper skin layers. This helps keep skin hydrated.
Xylitol is a sugar alcohol and commonly used as a sugar substitute. It is naturally occurring in plants such as strawberries and pumpkin.
Learn more about Xylitol
