What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
SurfactantSqualane
EmollientPalmaria Palmata Extract
Skin ProtectingHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantPhenoxyethanol
PreservativePolysorbate 60
EmulsifyingSorbitan Isostearate
EmulsifyingCetyl Alcohol
EmollientTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Water, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Squalane, Palmaria Palmata Extract, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phenoxyethanol, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingCetyl Alcohol
EmollientPropanediol
SolventStearyl Alcohol
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantArginine
MaskingAspartic Acid
MaskingGlycine
BufferingAlanine
MaskingSerine
MaskingValine
MaskingIsoleucine
Skin ConditioningProline
Skin ConditioningThreonine
Histidine
HumectantPhenylalanine
MaskingGlucose
HumectantMaltose
MaskingFructose
HumectantTrehalose
HumectantSodium PCA
HumectantPCA
HumectantSodium Lactate
BufferingUrea
BufferingAllantoin
Skin ConditioningLinoleic Acid
CleansingOleic Acid
EmollientPhytosteryl Canola Glycerides
Skin ConditioningPalmitic Acid
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingLecithin
EmollientTriolein
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingIsoceteth-20
EmulsifyingPolysorbate 60
EmulsifyingSodium Chloride
MaskingCitric Acid
BufferingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Pentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningTriethanolamine
BufferingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Alcohol, Propanediol, Stearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Isoleucine, Proline, Threonine, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Glucose, Maltose, Fructose, Trehalose, Sodium PCA, PCA, Sodium Lactate, Urea, Allantoin, Linoleic Acid, Oleic Acid, Phytosteryl Canola Glycerides, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Lecithin, Triolein, Tocopherol, Carbomer, Isoceteth-20, Polysorbate 60, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Pentylene Glycol, Triethanolamine, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Polysorbate 60 is used to help stabilize products. It is a surfactant and emulsifier. These properties help keep ingredients together in a product. Surfactants help reduce surface tension between ingredients with different states, such as liquids and solids. Emulsifiers help prevent oils and waters from separating.
Polysorbate 60 is sorbitol-based and created from the ethoxylation of sorbitan. Ethoxylation is a chemical reaction used to add ethylene oxide. Sorbitan is a the dehydrated version of sorbitol, a sugar found in fruits.
In this case, the 60 comes from reacting 60 units of ethylene oxide with sorbitan.
Polysorbates are commonly used in medicine and foods.
Learn more about Polysorbate 60Sodium 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 HyaluronateTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate is used to help stabilize a product.
It is a chelating agent, meaning it helps prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This prevents unwanted reactions in products. Metal ions can come into a product via the water ingredient. They are found in trace amounts and are not known to be harmful.
Water. 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