What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPersea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Laurate
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Undecylenate
Emollient
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Phytate
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Aletris Farinosa Root Extract
Antioxidant
Quartz
Abrasive
Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract
Rubus Fruticosus Fruit Extract
AstringentPunica Granatum Extract
AstringentRosa Canina Fruit Extract
Astringent
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Aspalathus Linearis Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningWater, Persea Gratissima Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Glyceryl Laurate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Sodium Levulinate, Xanthan Gum, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Sodium Phytate, Tocopherol, Aletris Farinosa Root Extract, Quartz, Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Palmitate, Sorbitan Stearate, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Rubus Fruticosus Fruit Extract, Punica Granatum Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Aspalathus Linearis Leaf Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Betaine
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Opuntia Tuna Flower/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningEuterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract
Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract
Astringent
Aristotelia Chilensis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningMoringa Oleifera Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Glyceryl Laurate
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingHyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Riboflavin
Cosmetic ColorantTriethyl Citrate
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Gamma-Undecalactone
Perfuming
Gamma-Decalactone
Perfuming
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Limonene
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Isopropyl Myristate, Glyceryl Stearate, Betaine, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Opuntia Tuna Flower/Stem Extract, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Aristotelia Chilensis Fruit Extract, Moringa Oleifera Leaf Extract, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glyceryl Laurate, Squalane, Carbomer, Hyaluronic Acid, Allantoin, Panthenol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Riboflavin, Triethyl Citrate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Gamma-Undecalactone, Gamma-Decalactone, Tocopherol, Limonene
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholThis extract comes from the Cabbage Palm, AKA the Açaà berry! It has skin soothing and antioxidant properties.
Acai berries are rich in antioxidants, including ferulic acid (The famous vitamin C stabilizer). Antioxidants protect your skin against damaging free-radical molecules.
You can also find carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, minerals, vitamin A, and Vitamin C in these berries.
Learn more about Euterpe Oleracea Fruit 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 GlycerinGlyceryl Laurate isn't fungal acne safe.
Glyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateGlyceryl Stearate Citrate is a citric acid ester of glyceryl stearate.
It is an emulsifier, emollient, and a surfactant.
Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. It does this by preventing certain ingredients from separating. Common ingredients include oils and water, which do not mix naturally. Emulsifiers have properties that help keep ingredients such as these together.
Emollients help soothe and soften the skin. They do this by creating a protective film on your skin. This barrier helps trap moisture and keeps your skin hydrated. Emollients may be effective at treating dry or itchy skin.
Surfactants help gather oils, dirt, and other pollutants from the skin. This helps them to be easily rinsed away.
Learn more about Glyceryl Stearate CitrateTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
