A313 Cream with Retinol & Vitamin A Versus Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Serum

Dimethicone is a silicone used for making products smooth and silky. It also has the added benefit of sealing in hydration. The amount of dimethicone found in beauty products is considered safe and non-comedogenic, meaning it won't clog pores.

Propanediol helps absorb ingredients into your skin, boosting their benefits. It can act as an emollient, making your skin softer. Propanediol can help products last longer by boosting the properties of preservatives within the formulation.

Glyceryl Stearate is a mix of glycerin and stearic acid.

Peg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. PEGS are a hydrophilic polyether compound . There are 100 ethylene oxide monomers in Peg-100 Stearate. Peg-100 Stearate is polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid.

Shea Butter Ethyl Esters isn't fungal acne safe.

Retinol is a gold-standard ingredient for anti-aging. It is a form of Vitamin A and belongs to the class of retinoids that also includes tretinoin.

This ingredient is a retinoid. It usually goes by a more common name: "Granactive".

Ceramide NP is a type of ceramide.

Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.

Solanum Lycopersicum Fruit Extract is an antioxidant.

We don't have a description for Swertia Chirata Extract.

Squalane is an emollient that helps the skin hold onto moisture. It's an oily liquid that occurs naturally in certain types of fish and plant oils.

Punica Granatum extract comes from the pomegranate fruit.

Tocopheryl 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.

Glycine Soja Extract comes from the soybean. Glycine Soja is native to eastern Asia.

Urea is also called carbamide and is the diamide of carbonic acid. In cosmetics, urea is used to hydrate the skin. It also provides exfoliation in higher concentrations.

We don't have a description for Yeast Amino Acids.

Trehalose is a disaccharide made of two glucose molecules (glucose is sugar!). Trehalose is used to help moisturize skin. It also has antioxidant properties.

Inositol is a sugar alcohol naturally found in the human body. Our bodies use this ingredient in the process of growing new cells.

We don't have a description for Taurine.

Betaine is a common humectant (a substance that promotes retention of moisture). It's known to be gentle on the skin and can help balance hydration.

Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride is an emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.

Dimethyl Isosorbide is a solvent and helps deliver actives into your skin. It is created from sorbitol.

Silica is a mineral naturally found in our skin. It helps to thicken and smooth the texture of a product. It also acts as an agent for other ingredients by increasing the absorption of other ingredients into the skin.

Ethylhexyl Palmitate is created from 2-ethylhexyl alcohol and palmitic acid. It is a fatty acid ester.

This silica is mainly used to thicken oils and suspend particles in oils. It is not water soluble.

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

Lecithin is a term for a group of substances found in plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of mixture of fatty acids. These fatty acids usually are a mixture of phosphoric acid's choline ester connected to stearic, oleic, and palmitic acids. Most lecithins are created from plant ingredients scuh as sunflower.

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer (let's call it AAVC for short) is a synthetically created polymer. It's used as a film-forming agent and used to thicken the consistency of products.

We don't have a description for C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside.

Cetyl Palmitate is a wax-like substance.

Laureth-23 is created by reacting ethylene oxide with Lauryl Alcohol.

Polysorbate 20 is made by combining ethoxylation of sorbitan, ethylene oxide, and lauric acid. It is a mild cleansing agent, surfactant, and emulsifier.

We don't have a description for Trideceth-6 Phosphate.

Synthetic Fluorphlogopite is the synthethic version of mica. It consists of fluorine, aluminum and silicate.

Phenoxyethanol 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.

Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.

Chlorphenesin is a synthetic preservative. It helps protect a product against bacteria in order to extend shelf life. In most cases, Chlorphenesin is paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol and caprylyl glycol.

Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.

Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.

We don't have a description for Tristearyl Citrate.

We don't have a description for Sodium Benzotriazolyl Butylphenol Sulfonate.

Ci 77891 is a white pigment from Titanium dioxide. It is naturally found in minerals such as rutile and ilmenite.

Ci 14700 is a synthetic red dye.

Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone is a fragrance. It can be synthetically created or naturally occurring.

Citronellol is used to add fragrance/parfum to a product. It is often derived from plants such as roses. In fact, it can be found in many essential oils including geranium, lavender, neroli, and more. The scent of Citronellol is often described as "fresh, grassy, and citrus-like".

Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.