What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Silica
Abrasive
Lauroyl Lysine
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Squalane
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Adansonia Digitata Fruit Extract
EmollientHibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Undecylenate
Emollient
Hectorite
AbsorbentAmethyst Powder
Abrasive
Quartz
Abrasive
Glycerin
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningDehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Iron Oxides
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Silica, Lauroyl Lysine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Squalane, Pentylene Glycol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Adansonia Digitata Fruit Extract, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Hectorite, Amethyst Powder, Quartz, Glycerin, Water, Dehydroacetic Acid, Iron Oxides
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Silica
Abrasive
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Cocos Nucifera Fruit Juice
Emollient
Rhododendron Ferrugineum Extract
MaskingHydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningRicinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Boron Nitride
Absorbent
Laureth-4
Emulsifying
Tin Oxide
Abrasive
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Water
Skin ConditioningMagnesium Oxide
AbsorbentAlumina
Abrasive
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantSynthetic Fluorphlogopite, Silica, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Juice, Rhododendron Ferrugineum Extract, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Squalane, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Boron Nitride, Laureth-4, Tin Oxide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Water, Magnesium Oxide, Alumina, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Mica, CI 77891, CI 77492, CI 77491, CI 77499
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.
It helps thicken a product's formula and makes it easier to spread by dissolving clumping compounds.
Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid. Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. 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. Be sure to 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.
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 GlycerinSilica, also known as silicon dioxide, is a naturally occurring mineral. It is used as a fine, spherical, and porous powder in cosmetics.
Though it has exfoliant properties, the function of silica varies depending on the product.
The unique structure of silica enhances the spreadability and adds smoothness, making it a great texture enhancer.
It is also used as an active carrier, emulsifier, and mattifier due to its ability to absorb excess oil.
In some products, tiny microneedles called spicules are made from silica or hydrolyzed sponge. When you rub them in, they lightly polish away dead skin layers and enhance the penetration of active ingredients.
Learn more about SilicaSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateSqualane 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 SqualaneSynthetic Fluorphlogopite is the synthethic version of mica. It consists of fluorine, aluminum and silicate.
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite is used to add volume to products.
It is considered non-irritating on the skin.
Learn more about Synthetic FluorphlogopiteWater. 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
