What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycereth-26
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Cystoseira Tamariscifolia Extract
Skin ConditioningHypnea Musciformis Extract
Skin ProtectingSargassum Filipendula Extract
Skin ProtectingXylitylglucoside
Humectant
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glutathione
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycereth-26, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Hydroxyethyl Urea, 1,2-Hexanediol, Panthenol, Betaine, Allantoin, Glyceryl Glucoside, Cystoseira Tamariscifolia Extract, Hypnea Musciformis Extract, Sargassum Filipendula Extract, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glutathione, Hydroxyacetophenone, Gluconolactone, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
PCA
Humectant
Serine
Masking
Alanine
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Lysine Hcl
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Threonine
Arginine
Masking
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Acacia Senegal Gum
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Xylitol
Humectant
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Water, Propanediol, Glycerin, Panthenol, Betaine, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Allantoin, PCA, Serine, Alanine, Glycine, Glutamic Acid, Lysine Hcl, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Threonine, Arginine, Proline, Disodium EDTA, Acacia Senegal Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Gluconolactone, Xylitol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Xanthan Gum, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.Â
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservativesÂ
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinBetaine is a humectant. Like hyaluronic acid, it helps attract and retain moisture in the skin. It’s known for being gentle and for helping the skin maintain balanced hydration.
Betaine is mainly used to improve hydration and support calmer skin. It helps skin cells regulate water balance because it functions as an osmolyte.
Some studies suggest betaine may support making skin tone more even.
Fun fact: Betaine naturally exists in the skin and the body. In cosmetic products, it can be either plant-derived (most commonly from sugar beets) or synthetically produced for consistency and stability.
Betaine is also known as trimethylglycine.
Learn more about BetaineGluconolactone is a PHA. PHAs are a great gentle alternative to traditional AHAs.
When applied, Gluconolactone has the same affect on skin as AHAs such as lactic acid. It helps dissolve the dead skin cells in the top layer of your skin. This improves texture and brightens the skin.
PHAs are more gentle than AHAs due to their larger structure. They do not penetrate as deeply as AHAs and take a longer time to dissolve dead cells. Studies show PHAs do not cause as much irritation.
Gluconolactone has some interesting properties:
In a 2004 study, Gluconolactone was found to prevent UV damage in mouse skin cells and has not been found to increase sun sensitivity. However, we still recommend wearing SPF daily.
This ingredient is is an created by reacting gluconic acid with an alcohol.
Learn more about GluconolactoneGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydroxyacetophenone is antioxidant with skin conditioning and soothing properties. It also boosts the efficiency of preservatives.
Though naturally occuring in Norwegian spruce needles, this ingredient is usually synthetically created.
This ingredient is not irritating or sensitizing. Recent research also suggests it may have skin-brightening effects through tyrosinase inhibition.
Learn more about HydroxyacetophenonePanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolPhenoxyethanol 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.
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 WaterXylitol is a humectant and prebiotic. It can help with dry skin.
In studies, xylitol has been shown to improve dry skin. It decreased transepidermal water loss, or when water passes through the skin and evaporates. Xylitol also showed to help improve the biomechanical properties of the skin barrier.
The prebiotic property of xylitol may also help reinforce our skin's natural microbiome. Having a healthy microbiome prevents infection by bad bacteria and helps with hydration.
As a humectant, Xylitol helps draw moisture from both the air and from deeper skin layers. This helps keep skin hydrated.
Xylitol is a sugar alcohol and commonly used as a sugar substitute. It is naturally occurring in plants such as strawberries and pumpkin.
Learn more about Xylitol
