Serum
Essence
American United States
American United States

What's inside

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Show highlights for:

Water

Skin Conditioning

Glycerin

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Niacinamide

Smoothing
Niacinamide IconHelps fight Acne IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps brighten skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Isopropyl Lauroyl Sarcosinate

Skin Conditioning

Propanediol

Solvent
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Triethyl Citrate

Masking
Synthetic Fragrance IconFragrance Icon

Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract

Humectant

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Antimicrobial
Antioxidant IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps brighten skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps reduce Skin Redness Icon

Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract

Masking
Helps reduce irritation IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Chamomilla Recutita Extract

Skin Conditioning
0 / 0 Helps reduce irritation IconHelps reduce Skin Redness Icon

Medicago Sativa Extract

Tonic

Spinacia Oleracea

Skin Conditioning

Spinacia Oleracea Leaf Extract

Skin Conditioning

Adenosine

Skin Conditioning
Helps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation Icon

Alteromonas Ferment Extract

Skin Conditioning
Helps reduce irritation Icon

Ascorbyl Glucoside

Antioxidant
Vitamin C IconAntioxidant IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps brighten skin IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Bisabolol

Antioxidant
Antioxidant IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Capryloyl Salicylic Acid

Exfoliating
Exfoliant IconHelps fight Acne IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconGood for Dark Spots Icon

Carnosine

Skin Conditioning
Helps with Anti-Aging IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Hydroxypalmitoyl Sphinganine

Skin Conditioning
Ceramide IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate

Antioxidant
Antioxidant Icon

Sodium Hyaluronate

Humectant
0 / 0 Hyaluronic Acid IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Sodium Hydroxide

Buffering

Taraxacum Officinale Rhizome/Root Extract

Skin Conditioning

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

Tocopherol

Antioxidant
0-3 / 0-3 Vitamin E IconAntioxidant IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps brighten skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Brassica Oleracea Italica Seed Oil

Emollient
Oil IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Ceramide NP

Skin Conditioning
Ceramide IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Boron Nitride

Absorbent
Good for Oily Skin Icon

Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate

Humectant
Helps reduce irritation IconHelps reduce Skin Redness Icon

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Butylene Glycol

Humectant
1 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Cetearyl Alcohol

Emollient
2 / 1 Fatty Alcohol IconCoconut Derived IconBad for Acne Prone Skin IconMay worsen Seborrheic Dermatitis IconMay worsen Keratosis Pilaris IconMay worsen Oily Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Cetearyl Glucoside

Emulsifying
May worsen Seborrheic Dermatitis IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

CI 77891

Cosmetic Colorant

Ethylhexyl Palmitate

Emollient
2-3 / 0 Bad for Acne Prone Skin IconMay worsen Seborrheic Dermatitis IconMay worsen Keratosis Pilaris IconMay worsen Oily Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Glucomannan

Skin Conditioning

Glyceryl Stearate

Emollient
1 / 0 May worsen Seborrheic Dermatitis IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

PEG-100 Stearate

Surfactant
0 / 0 May worsen Seborrheic Dermatitis IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Pentylene Glycol

Skin Conditioning
Good for Barrier Repair Icon

Synthetic Fluorphlogopite

Tin Oxide

Abrasive
Exfoliant Icon

Trihydroxystearin

Skin Conditioning
May worsen Seborrheic Dermatitis IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Xanthan Gum

Emulsifying

CI 77288

Cosmetic Colorant

Chlorphenesin

Antimicrobial
Preservative Icon

Phenoxyethanol

Preservative
Preservative Icon

Parfum

Masking
Synthetic Fragrance IconFragrance IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Perioral Dermatitis IconMay worsen Psoriasis IconMay worsen Seborrheic Dermatitis IconMay worsen Keratosis Pilaris IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting

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 Glycerin
Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Pentylene 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 Glycol
Solvent

Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin. 

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 Propanediol
Buffering

Sodium 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 Hydroxide
Skin Conditioning, Solvent

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

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