What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-28
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Synthetic Sapphire
Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Nephelium Lappaceum Peel Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium PCA
Humectant
Glutathione
Malachite Extract
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Polyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPropanediol
Solvent
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-28, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Synthetic Sapphire, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Nephelium Lappaceum Peel Extract, Sodium PCA, Glutathione, Malachite Extract, Citric Acid, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Polyglutamic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Lactate, Carbomer, Propanediol, Polysorbate 20, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Lecithin
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningZinc PCA
Humectant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Magnesium PCA
Humectant
Manganese PCA
HumectantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Polyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide
Emulsion Stabilising
Pullulan
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingSilica
Abrasive
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantChlamydomonas Extract
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Propanediol, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Pentylene Glycol, Lecithin, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Zinc PCA, Sodium PCA, Magnesium PCA, Manganese PCA, Xanthan Gum, Maltodextrin, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Polyglutamic Acid, Beta-Glucan, Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide, Pullulan, Sclerotium Gum, Silica, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Chlamydomonas Extract
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinPentylene 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 GlycolPolyglutamic Acid is made up many glutamic acids chained together. It is created from bacterial fermentation.
This ingredient is an effective skin hydrator and may help speed up wound healing. As a humectant, it draws and holds water to the skin. This ingredient is often compared to hyaluronic acid or glycerin. Similarly to hyaluronic acid, it can vary in molecular weights. This means polyglutamic acid is capable of bringing hydration to lower levels of the skin.
Fun fact: Polyglutamic Acid is found in the Japanese food, natto. It is also being used in cancer treatment studies.
Learn more about Polyglutamic AcidPropanediol 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 PropanediolSodium 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 PCA (the salt of PCA) is one of the most well-established humectants in skincare.
Why is it so special? Your skin already makes it naturally; it's a natural component of your skin's Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF), or the mix of water-binding compounds inside your skin cells that keeps things soft and hydrated.
As a cosmetic ingredient, it grabs water and holds it in the upper layers of skin to smooth roughness and ease dehydration.
There's some clinical support for the NMF approach with a study showing that a cream built to mimic the skin's NMF significantly boosted hydration.
Safety-wise, this ingredient non-irritating, non-comedogenic, and non-phototoxic in testing, with minimal skin absorption.
It also works really well with other hydrators like glycerin or hyaluronic acid, and typical usage is somewhere between 0.2-4%.
Learn more about Sodium PCAWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
