What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientCetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientSqualane
Emollient
Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientBehenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Betaine
Humectant
Mannitol
Humectant
C14-22 Alcohols
Emulsion Stabilising
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Hydroxypropyl Bislauramide Mea
EmollientArachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cholesterol
Emollient
Polyacrylate-13
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingNiacinamide
Smoothing
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingDimethiconol
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Silica
Abrasive
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Sphingolipids
Emollient
Arachidic Acid
Cleansing
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Squalane, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Behenyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea, Stearic Acid, Betaine, Mannitol, C14-22 Alcohols, Palmitic Acid, Hydroxypropyl Bislauramide Mea, Arachidyl Alcohol, Cholesterol, Polyacrylate-13, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Allantoin, Arachidyl Glucoside, Niacinamide, Ceramide NP, Glyceryl Caprylate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Dimethiconol, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer, Sorbitan Isostearate, Silica, Phytosphingosine, Sphingolipids, Arachidic Acid, Tocopherol, Oleic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Propanediol
Solvent
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Dimethicone
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Squalane
Emollient
Myristoyl/Palmitoyl Oxostearamide/Arachamide Mea
Skin ConditioningMethyl Caprooyl Tyrosinate
Skin ProtectingCetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Sorbitan Palmitate
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Canola Oil
Emollient
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingArginine
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Propanediol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Stearate, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Dimethicone, Stearic Acid, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Squalane, Myristoyl/Palmitoyl Oxostearamide/Arachamide Mea, Methyl Caprooyl Tyrosinate, Cetyl Palmitate, Sorbitan Palmitate, Sorbitan Olivate, Glyceryl Stearate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Canola Oil, Phytosterols, Tocopheryl Acetate, Bisabolol, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Arginine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeGlycerin (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 SqualaneStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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
