What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sh-Oligopeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Biotinoyl Hexapeptide-2 Amide
Skin Conditioning
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexanamide Serinol
EmollientPalmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingArginine
Masking
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Sodium Phosphate
BufferingGlycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Water, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sh-Oligopeptide-1, Madecassoside, Biotinoyl Hexapeptide-2 Amide, Beta-Glucan, Ethylhexanamide Serinol, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Sodium Hyaluronate, Xanthan Gum, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Glycerin, Carbomer, Arginine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Adenosine, Pentylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Phosphate, Glycine Soja Oil, Caprylyl Glycol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Vegetable Oil
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Squalane
Emollient
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Trimethylsiloxysilicate
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-10 Distearate
Emulsifying
Myristoyl/Palmitoyl Oxostearamide/Arachamide Mea
Skin ConditioningDipentaerythrityl Hexa C5-9 Acid Esters
Skin ConditioningPhytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-11
Emulsion StabilisingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Methyl Caprooyl Tyrosinate
Skin ProtectingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Panthenol, Vegetable Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Squalane, Sorbitan Stearate, Niacinamide, Glyceryl Stearate, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Stearic Acid, Cyclopentasiloxane, Polyglyceryl-10 Distearate, Myristoyl/Palmitoyl Oxostearamide/Arachamide Mea, Dipentaerythrityl Hexa C5-9 Acid Esters, Phytosterols, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-11, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Allantoin, Methyl Caprooyl Tyrosinate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Disodium EDTA, Butylene Glycol, Madecassoside, Beta-Glucan, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
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.
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 preservatives
Beta-Glucan is a soluble polysaccharide (a chain of glucose sugars) sourced from the cells walls of oats, baker's yeast, mushrooms, and seaweed.
It's a rare ingredient that pulls double-duty as a heavy-duty hydrator and skin-soothing repair agent.
On the surface, it acts as a humectant that holds water in place and reduces moisture loss for a plumper, smoother feel, while its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties make it a great pick for calming redness or sensitive skin
The more interesting story is underneath:
Despite its large molecular size, oat beta-glucan has been shown to penetrate the epidermis and reach the dermis by slipping between skin cells. Here, it interacts with fibroblasts and macrophages to nudge collagen synthesis and support wound repair.
A small 2005 split-face clinical study of 27 subjects found topical beta-glucan produced measurable reductions in wrinkle depth, height, and roughness after 8 weeks of use.
It is worth noting the trial was small and the penetration testing used frozen, irradiated skin so the anti-aging data is encouraging rather than definitive.
This ingredient gets along with pretty much everything and is typically used around 0.1-1%.
Fungal acne: This ingredient is not a food source for the Malassezia yeast because it is a glucose polysaccharide with no fatty acid or ester component.
Learn more about Beta-GlucanButylene 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 GlycolCaprylyl 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 GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinMadecassoside is one of four active compounds found in Centella asiatica and is one of the main reasons Centella is so effective at calming irritated skin and supporting the moisture barrier.
There's a solid body of peer-reviewed research backing Madecassoside for several skin benefits. Studies have found:
Madecassoside pairs well with other hydrating or antioxidant ingredients like Ascorbic Acid or Hyaluronic Acid.
Learn more about MadecassosideYou might know this ingredient as Matrixyl. It is a synthetic peptide made up of five amino acids attached to a palmitic acid, a fatty acid that helps it absorb into skin more easily.
As a signal peptide, Matrixyl acts like a little messenger. Once it reaches your skin cells, it tells them to ramp up production of collagen, elastin, and other proteins that keep skin looking firm and smooth.
A 12 week clinical study found that a moisturizer containing just 3 ppm of Matrixyl led to a significant improvement in fine-lines and wrinkles. Another study showed an 18% reduction in wrinkle depth, 37% reduction in wrinkle thickness, and a 21% improvement in skin firmness after just 28 days of twice-daily use.
The coolest part is that it works at incredibly low concentrations (like 0.0003%) and it plays well with other actives.
The CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) panel found it to be non-sensitizing across multiple tests and human patch tests also showed no irritation or sensitization.
Fun fact: Matrixyl was originally developed by French company Sederma and Procter & Gamble.
Read more about other common types of peptides here:
Learn more about Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate is a cleansing agent and emulsifier.
It rounds up dirt, oil, and grime, so they can be rinsed off easily as a cleanser.
On the emulsifier side, it keeps your formula smooth and well-mixed by playing peacekeeper for ingredients that don't naturally get along (like oil and water).
Because it has a C12 (lauric acid) fatty acid chain, this ingredient can potentially feed the Malassezia yeast that causes fungal acne. The Malassezia yeast prefers esters with C11-C24 fatty acids.
This ingredient is an ester of lauric acid and Polyglycerin-10.
Learn more about Polyglyceryl-10 LaurateSodium 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 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
