What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Phyllostachys Bambusoides Juice
Skin ConditioningAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer
SolventCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Acetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Opuntia Coccinellifera Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycine Soja Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Phyllostachys Bambusoides
HumectantHydrolyzed Camellia Sinensis Leaf
HumectantTheanine
EmollientEpigallocatechin Gallate
Antioxidant
Kaempferol
Antioxidant
Camellia Sinensis Flower Extract
Perfuming
Natto Gum
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Methyl Gluceth-20
Humectant
PCA Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Phytantriol
HumectantC12-16 Alcohols
EmollientBis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane
EmollientHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Stearyl Behenate
Emollient
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingLimnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Mannan
Poloxamer 407
EmulsifyingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Tromethamine
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Phyllostachys Bambusoides Juice, Alcohol, Glycerin, Water, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Squalane, PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer, Cyclopentasiloxane, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Dimethicone, Niacinamide, Acetyl Glucosamine, Betaine, Opuntia Coccinellifera Fruit Extract, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Hydrolyzed Phyllostachys Bambusoides, Hydrolyzed Camellia Sinensis Leaf, Theanine, Epigallocatechin Gallate, Kaempferol, Camellia Sinensis Flower Extract, Natto Gum, Caffeine, Beta-Glucan, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cyclohexasiloxane, Methyl Gluceth-20, PCA Dimethicone, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Tocopherol, Phytantriol, C12-16 Alcohols, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Stearyl Behenate, Dimethiconol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polysorbate 20, Carbomer, Palmitic Acid, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Mannan, Poloxamer 407, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Tromethamine, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, 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 GlycolCarbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.
Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.
It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.
Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.
A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.
Learn more about CarbomerGlycerin (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 GlycerinMethyl Gluceth-20 is a humectant. Humectants help draw moisture from the air to your skin.
It is created by combining polyethylene glycol with glucose.
Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolSodium 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 Water
