What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningIsononyl Isononanoate
EmollientAlcohol Denat.
AntimicrobialDicaprylyl Ether
EmollientGlycine Soja Oil
EmollientPropylene Glycol
HumectantPEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmulsifyingHydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantPalmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin ConditioningPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
AntioxidantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantSodium Hydroxide
BufferingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Vitreoscilla Ferment
Skin ConditioningRetinol
Skin ConditioningDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientAmmonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingButylene Glycol
HumectantCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Isostearate
EmollientPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingPPG-6-Decyltetradeceth-30
EmulsifyingSodium Lactate
BufferingTocopherol
AntioxidantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Isononyl Isononanoate, Alcohol Denat., Dicaprylyl Ether, Glycine Soja Oil, Propylene Glycol, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Hydroxyacetophenone, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Vitreoscilla Ferment, Retinol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Butylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Glyceryl Isostearate, Polysorbate 20, PPG-6-Decyltetradeceth-30, Sodium Lactate, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum
Salicylic Acid 2%
MaskingWater
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantIsononyl Isononanoate
EmollientButylene Glycol
HumectantKaolin
AbrasiveZinc Sulfate
AntimicrobialBifida Ferment Lysate
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Polyacrylate
AbsorbentSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantSodium Benzoate
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeAscorbyl Glucoside
AntioxidantHydrolyzed Algin
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Biosaccharide Gum-1
HumectantAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
MaskingSalicylic Acid 2%, Water, Glycerin, Isononyl Isononanoate, Butylene Glycol, Kaolin, Zinc Sulfate, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Polyacrylate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Hydrolyzed Algin, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 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 GlycerinIsononyl Isononanoate is a synthetic skin-conditioner and texture enhancer. It is created from nonanoic acid, a fatty acid found in cocoa and lavender oil.
As an emollient, Isononyl Isononanoate helps keep your skin soft and smooth. This is because emollients create a barrier on the skin to trap moisture in.
Isononyl Isononanoate helps give products a velvet feel and improves spreadability.
Learn more about Isononyl IsononanoateSodium 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 HyaluronateSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideTrisodium 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