What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningIsopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Acetyl Cysteine
Antioxidant
Escin
TonicSodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Cistus Incanus Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningYeast Extract
Skin ConditioningSoy Isoflavones
Skin ConditioningBeta-Sitosterol
Emulsion Stabilising
Aesculus Hippocastanum Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Glycosphingolipids
EmollientCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Oryza Sativa Bran Oil
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPolyglyceryl-6 Laurate
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate
Skin Conditioning
Phenylpropanol
Masking
Lecithin
Emollient
Sorbitan Palmitate
Emulsifying
Parfum
Masking
Water, Isopropyl Myristate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Acetyl Cysteine, Escin, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cistus Incanus Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Yeast Extract, Soy Isoflavones, Beta-Sitosterol, Aesculus Hippocastanum Seed Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Glycosphingolipids, Carbomer, Hydroxyacetophenone, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Phenoxyethanol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Polyglyceryl-6 Laurate, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Phenylpropanol, Lecithin, Sorbitan Palmitate, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil
Skin Protecting
Squalane
Emollient
Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide
Emulsion Stabilising
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-6 Oleate
Emulsifying
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Rosa Canina Seed Oil
Emollient
Trehalose
Humectant
Oxygen
Skin ConditioningSh-Oligopeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Sh-Oligopeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
Sh-Polypeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Sh-Polypeptide-11
Sh-Polypeptide-9
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Eos
Skin Conditioning
Myristoyl Hexapeptide-16
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5
Humectant
Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Pea Protein
EmollientGlycine
Buffering
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Glutamine
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprooyl Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Caprooyl Sphingosine
Skin ConditioningLecithin
Emollient
Behenic Acid
Cleansing
Chlorella Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Hibiscus Rosa-Sinensis Flower Extract
HumectantPunica Granatum Extract
AstringentAngelica Acutiloba Extract
HumectantBacillus/Folic Acid Ferment Filtrate Extract
Antioxidant
Cholesterol
Emollient
Ceteareth-25
CleansingMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTetrasodium Iminodisuccinate
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil, Squalane, Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate, Polyglyceryl-6 Oleate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Rosa Canina Seed Oil, Trehalose, Oxygen, Sh-Oligopeptide-1, Sh-Oligopeptide-2, Sh-Polypeptide-1, Sh-Polypeptide-11, Sh-Polypeptide-9, Ceramide NP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide Eos, Myristoyl Hexapeptide-16, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17, Tocopherol, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Hydrolyzed Pea Protein, Glycine, Proline, Acetyl Glutamine, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprooyl Phytosphingosine, Caprooyl Sphingosine, Lecithin, Behenic Acid, Chlorella Ferment, Hibiscus Rosa-Sinensis Flower Extract, Punica Granatum Extract, Angelica Acutiloba Extract, Bacillus/Folic Acid Ferment Filtrate Extract, Cholesterol, Ceteareth-25, Maltodextrin, Butylene Glycol, Benzyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tetrasodium Iminodisuccinate, Cetyl Alcohol, 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.
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
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCaprylyl 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 or alcohol, 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 GlycerinLecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
Depending on the source of this ingredient, lecithin may not be fungal acne safe. This is because some sources of lecithin come from soybean oil, which may feed the malassezia yeast that causes fungal acne.
We recommend reaching out to the brand you are purchasing from to inquire about the source of their lecithin.
Learn more about LecithinSodium 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 Water
