What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Garcinia Indica Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Lecithin
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Triolein
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Myrothamnus Flabellifolia Leaf Extract
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingVanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Honey
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Dioleate
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Honey Extract
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hexapeptide-11
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Glycerin, Propanediol, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Garcinia Indica Seed Butter, Lecithin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Triolein, Caprylyl Glycol, Myrothamnus Flabellifolia Leaf Extract, Xanthan Gum, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Honey, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ceramide NP, Glyceryl Dioleate, Citric Acid, Honey Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hexapeptide-11, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientPolyglyceryl-3 Distearate
Emulsifying
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Diglycerin
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Isopentyldiol
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantCyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate
Emulsifying
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Tromethamine
BufferingStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Disodium EDTA
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Polyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Asiaticoside
Antioxidant
Madecassic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Asiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Sucrose Distearate
Emollient
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Water, Glycerin, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Diglycerin, Squalane, Isopentyldiol, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Cyclohexasiloxane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Palmitic Acid, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Stearic Acid, Carbomer, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Tromethamine, Stearyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Sorbitan Isostearate, Disodium EDTA, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Myristic Acid, Polyglutamic Acid, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, Asiatic Acid, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Ceramide NP, Sucrose Distearate, Lauric Acid, Phytosterols, Madecassoside, Sodium Hyaluronate
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
This ingredient is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.
It helps thicken a product's formula and makes it easier to spread by dissolving clumping compounds.
Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid. Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. 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. Be sure to 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.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCeramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
Learn more about Ceramide NPCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinSodium 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
