What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ganoderma Lucidum Extract 65%
Skin Protecting
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
Glycereth-26
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Inonotus Obliquus Extract
Skin ConditioningTremella Fuciformis Extract
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Lactococcus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Saccharomyces Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Streptococcus Thermophilus Ferment
Humectant
Bacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Ganoderma Lucidum Extract 65%, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Lactobacillus Ferment, Water, Niacinamide, Glycereth-26, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Pentylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Allantoin, Betaine, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Inonotus Obliquus Extract, Tremella Fuciformis Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Adenosine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, Saccharomyces Ferment, Streptococcus Thermophilus Ferment, Bacillus Ferment
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 GlycolThis ingredient is made when the Lactobacillus bacteria (the same kind that makes yogurt and kimchi) are allowed to ferment a nutrient medium.
As it ferments, it collects lactic acid, peptides, enzymes, and other bioactive metabolites to provide:
A 2023 review noted that probiotic fermentation ingredients like this one can enhance antioxidant capacity, reduce UV-induced oxidative damage, and support barrier function.
One clinical study from the same year showed a Lactobacillus ferment lysate significantly reduced transepidermal water loss and improved skin hydration.
Another review highlighted that topical Lactobacillus-based preparations can improve ceramide levels in the stratum corneum, support barrier integrity, and even help reduce S. aureus colonization in atopic dermatitis.
Why is this so cool?
Basically, your skin's outer layer works as a brick wall; skin cells are bricks and ceramides are the mortar holding it together. Moisture escapes, irritants get in, and your skin gets dry and reactive when ceramide levels drop. On top of that, "bad" skin bacteria S. aureus loves to move in when your barrier is weak to make inflammation and irritation worse.
So Lactobacillus ferment is basically patching the wall and evicting the troublemaker when it boosts ceramide production and help keep S. aureus in check.
On top of all this, it also acts as a mild antimicrobial preservative booster.
Just so you know, most studies focus on specific strains or the lysate form rather than this generic "Lactobacillus Ferment", so results can vary.
Though it's a promising ingredient, it doesn't have decades of robust clinical data behind it just yet.
Lactobacillus Ferment is generally considered safe for fungal-acne prone skin. The key thing to understand is that it comes from bacteria, not yeast or fungus.
Yeast-derived ferments (like galactomyces) have been shown to activate a protein that's linked to Malassezia-related skin issues whereas lactobacillus doesn't have that problem.
Its byproducts also don't contain the types of fatty acids (C11-24 chain lengths) that Malassezia feeds on.
Learn more about Lactobacillus FermentPentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolWater. 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
