What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Heptyl Glucoside
SurfactantIsodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientAcacia Senegal Gum
MaskingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Glycolipids
Skin ConditioningDimethyl Sulfone
SolventOrnithine
Skin ConditioningLecithin
Emollient
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Copper Lysinate/Prolinate
Skin ConditioningMethylglucoside Phosphate
Skin ConditioningCrocus Chrysanthus Bulb Extract
Skin ConditioningSh-Oligopeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate
Skin Conditioning
Pentapeptide-18
Skin Conditioning
Pentapeptide-48
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Levulinic Acid
Perfuming
P-Anisic Acid
Masking
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingHeptanol
Perfuming
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Heptyl Glucoside, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Acacia Senegal Gum, Polysorbate 20, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Phospholipids, Glycolipids, Dimethyl Sulfone, Ornithine, Lecithin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Copper Lysinate/Prolinate, Methylglucoside Phosphate, Crocus Chrysanthus Bulb Extract, Sh-Oligopeptide-1, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Pentapeptide-18, Pentapeptide-48, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ethylhexylglycerin, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Sclerotium Gum, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Levulinic Acid, P-Anisic Acid, Sodium Gluconate, Propanediol, Maltodextrin, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Heptanol, Phenethyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningShea Butter Ethyl Esters
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Squalane
Emollient
Dibutyl Adipate
Emollient3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate
Emollient
Propylheptyl Caprylate
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Decarboxy Carnosine Hcl
Skin ConditioningPhytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Borago Officinalis Seed Oil
Emollient
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Retinal
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Arginine
Masking
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingHydroxystearic Acid
Cleansing
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate
Emulsion Stabilising
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Water, Shea Butter Ethyl Esters, Propanediol, Squalane, Dibutyl Adipate, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate, Propylheptyl Caprylate, Pentylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Tocopherol, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Decarboxy Carnosine Hcl, Phytosphingosine, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Ubiquinone, Phospholipids, Retinal, Ascorbic Acid, Arginine, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Hydroxystearic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate, Xanthan Gum, Hydroxyacetophenone
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that 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. Just 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.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhospholipids are a family of skin-identical lipids that makeup the structural backbone of every cell membrane in your body.
In cosmetics, they function as skin conditioning agents with emulsifier and surfactant properties. They're typically sourced from soybean or sunflower lecithin (or sometimes egg yolk or marine sources).
Because they mirror the lipids naturally found in the deeper layers of your skin, topical phospholipids help reinforce the lipid matrix, reduce transepidermal water loss, and leave skin feeling conditioned.
They're also used to form liposomes, or tiny self-assembling vesible used to stabilize actives like vitamin c or retinol. This helps these ingredients integrate into the upper layers of skin more easily.
Phospholipids are compatible with everything and the CIR Expert Panel has concluded them to be safe at current use levels.
Some types of phospholipids include:
Learn more about PhospholipidsPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.Â
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolTocopherol 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
