What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantCetyl Alcohol
EmollientCoconut Alkanes
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantPyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningPrunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
MaskingCapryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
EmollientDiheptyl Succinate
EmollientCentella Asiatica Meristem Cell Culture
AntioxidantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSorbitan Stearate
EmulsifyingDehydroacetic Acid
PreservativeBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingSqualane
EmollientTripeptide-29
Skin ConditioningOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
MaskingGlycolic Acid
BufferingMica
Cosmetic ColorantTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic ColorantPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantLinoleic Acid
CleansingLavandula Angustifolia Oil
MaskingCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil
MaskingCoenochloris Signiensis Extract
Skin ConditioningMaltodextrin
AbsorbentLecithin
EmollientBakuchiol
AntimicrobialHydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningEclipta Prostrata Extract
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMoringa Oleifera Seed Oil
EmollientCeramide Ng
Skin ConditioningAscorbic Acid
AntioxidantSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientSalvia Officinalis Leaf Extract
CleansingArnica Montana Flower Extract
MaskingBorago Officinalis Extract
EmollientCalendula Officinalis Flower Extract
MaskingChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
MaskingWater, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cetyl Alcohol, Coconut Alkanes, Glycerin, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Diheptyl Succinate, Centella Asiatica Meristem Cell Culture, Xanthan Gum, Sorbitan Stearate, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Squalane, Tripeptide-29, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Glycolic Acid, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Potassium Sorbate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Tocopherol, Linoleic Acid, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil, Coenochloris Signiensis Extract, Maltodextrin, Lecithin, Bakuchiol, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Ceramide Ng, Ascorbic Acid, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Borago Officinalis Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantSesamum Indicum Seed Oil
EmollientRubia Cordifolia Root Powder
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientCetearyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientCetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
EmulsifyingDehydroacetic Acid
PreservativeBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingAcacia Senegal Gum
MaskingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTocopherol
AntioxidantPelargonium Graveolens Oil
MaskingSodium Benzoate
MaskingIngredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzyl Alcohol is an aromatic alcohol with several roles: it's a preservative, solvent, and mild fragrance component with a floral scent.
This ingredient has been deemed safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and up to 10% in hair dyes. You'll typically see 0.5-2% in most rinse-off or leave-on products.
As a preservative, it works by disrupting the membrane of microbial proteins. This helps keep bacteria and fungi from growing in your products.
The sensitization picture is actually quite assuring as well:of nearly 71,000 patients patch tested with benzyl alcohol, only 0.21% showed a positive reaction with most of them being weakly positive.
This led researchers to conclude that benzyl alcohol cannot be regarded as a significant contact allergen.
It is worth noting this ingredient is classified as one of the EU's regulated fragrance allergens and restricted to 1% in finished products.
Labels must also declare it in concentrations above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products.
At concentrations around 5%, localized redness and itching can appear as a direct irritant response and not as a true allergic reaction.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholDehydroacetic Acid is a synthetic preservative that keeps your products safe from microbes.
As an organic acid, it penetrates microbial cell walls and disrupts cellular metabolism. This makes it effective against bacteria, yeast, and mold.
It is effective at low concentrations (<0.6%). Clinical studies have found it to be non-irritating, non-sensitizing, and non-photosensitizing.
Learn more about Dehydroacetic 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 GlycerinTocopherol 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