What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingGlycerin
Humectant
Arginine
Masking
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Isoamyl Laurate
Emollient
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Acacia Senegal Gum
MaskingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Fucus Vesiculosus Extract
Emollient
Laminaria Digitata Extract
Skin Protecting
Spirulina Maxima Extract
SmoothingPorphyra Umbilicalis Extract
Skin ConditioningAscophyllum Nodosum Extract
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Water, Hyaluronic Acid, Carbomer, Glycerin, Arginine, Niacinamide, Isoamyl Laurate, Allantoin, Acacia Senegal Gum, Propylene Glycol, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Beta-Glucan, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Centella Asiatica Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Spirulina Maxima Extract, Porphyra Umbilicalis Extract, Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Caprylyl Glycol
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientHydrolyzed Silk
Humectant
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
Antioxidant
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialBifida Ferment Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Propolis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Honey Extract
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Sphingolipids
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Guaiazulene
Antimicrobial
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Equisetum Arvense Extract
AstringentSodium Acrylates Copolymer
Lecithin
Emollient
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningBetaine
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Water, Butylene Glycol, Panthenol, Isononyl Isononanoate, Hydrolyzed Silk, Centella Asiatica Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Bifida Ferment Filtrate, Propolis Extract, Honey Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Phospholipids, Sphingolipids, Propylene Glycol, Guaiazulene, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Lecithin, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Glycerin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Betaine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Carbomer, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerCentella Asiatica Extract (Centella) is derived from an herb native to Southeast Asia. It is famous for its anti-inflammatory and soothing properties.
Centella is rich in antioxidants and amino acids, such as Madecassic Acid and Asiaticoside.
Studies show the compounds in centella help with:
The combination of all these properties makes centella effective at soothing, hydrating, and protecting the skin.
Other great components of centella include Vitamin A, vitamin C, several B vitamins, and Asiatic Acid.
Fun fact: Centella has been used as a medicine and in food for many centuries. As a medicine, it is used to treat burns, scratches, and wounds.
Learn more about Centella Asiatica ExtractGlycerin (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 GlycerinHyaluronic acid (HA) is a glycosaminoglycan (basically a long sugar chain) that your skin already makes on its own. In your skin, HA lives in the extracellular matrix and acts as the body's moisture reservoir.
Topically, HA is a humectant that binds water and helps skin look more plump, smooth, and hydrated.
The only catch is that HA isn't a single thing; it actually comes in a wide range of molecular weights (~50 - 2,000+ kDA) and size matters.
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
This is why the best HA serums blend the two sizes together so you get the best of both worlds.
The majority of cosmetic HA is produced by bacterial fermentation, typically using Streptococcus or Bacillus strains. Typical use levels in skincare sit around 0.1-2%.
A clinical study using a 0.2% low-molecular weight HA gel showed improvement in facial seborrheic dermatitis with excellent tolerance.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Learn more about Hyaluronic AcidPanthenol 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 PanthenolPropylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolTocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. 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
