What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Cocoglycerides
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Laurate
Emollient
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Oryza Sativa Bran Oil
Emollient
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientPolyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Sodium Phytate
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Anisate
AntimicrobialCitric Acid
Buffering
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Cocoglycerides, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glyceryl Laurate, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Squalane, Tocopherol, Niacinamide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ceramide NP, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Glycerin, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Levulinate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Polyglutamic Acid, Propanediol, Sodium Phytate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Anisate, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningCitrullus Lanatus Seed Oil
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Triolein
Skin Conditioning
Musa Sapientum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Betaine
Humectant
Cetearyl Olivate
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil Phytosterol Esters
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Selaginella Lepidophylla Extract
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Nicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide-76
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Salix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Genipa Americana Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Palmitate
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Water, Citrullus Lanatus Seed Oil, Squalane, Triolein, Musa Sapientum Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Betaine, Cetearyl Olivate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil Phytosterol Esters, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Jojoba Esters, Selaginella Lepidophylla Extract, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Palmitate, Sorbitan Olivate, Nicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide-76, Butylene Glycol, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Genipa Americana Fruit Extract, Sorbitan Palmitate, Sorbitan Oleate, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetearyl 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 AlcoholCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinSqualane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).
It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.
This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.
Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.
Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.
No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).
Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.
This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.
Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.
Read more about squalene with an "e".
Though squalane is often called an oil, it’s technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.
The term “oil-free” isn’t regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.
Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.
A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.
The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.
Learn more about SqualaneWater. 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
