What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Tapioca Starch
Myristyl Myristate
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Vitis Vinifera Fruit Cell Extract
Skin ConditioningEuterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract
Aronia Melanocarpa Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningLycium Barbarum Fruit Extract
Astringent
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingLinum Usitatissimum Seed Oil
Perfuming
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Squalane
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Isomalt
HumectantLecithin
Emollient
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract, Glyceryl Stearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Bakuchiol, Tapioca Starch, Myristyl Myristate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Vitis Vinifera Fruit Cell Extract, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Aronia Melanocarpa Fruit Extract, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Xanthan Gum, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Allantoin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Panthenol, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Squalane, Tocopherol, Sodium Benzoate, Isomalt, Lecithin, Potassium Sorbate, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningCetyl Ricinoleate
Emollient
Tribehenin
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Isododecane
EmollientPolyglyceryl-6 Stearate
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate
Emulsion Stabilising
Dimethicone
Emollient
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables
Emollient
Orobanche Rapum Extract
Skin ProtectingPhytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Stearyl Dimethicone
Emollient
Octadecene
SolventVp/Va Copolymer
Propanediol
Solvent
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Xanthan Gum
Emulsifying1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Tetrasodium EDTA
Water, Cetyl Ricinoleate, Tribehenin, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Isododecane, Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate, Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate, Dimethicone, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Bakuchiol, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables, Orobanche Rapum Extract, Phytosterols, Behenyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Linoleic Acid, Phospholipids, Stearyl Dimethicone, Octadecene, Vp/Va Copolymer, Propanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Xanthan Gum, 1,2-Hexanediol, Tetrasodium 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.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Bakuchiol is a plant-derived antioxidant from the seeds of the Psoralea corylifolia plant. It has antimicrobial, emollient, skin conditioning, and antioxidant properties.
You'll likely see it called a "retinol replacement" but the two are technically not related. This is because bakuchiol is able to flip many of the same switches in your skin cells to tell them to:
1) produce more collagen (type I, III, and IV)
2) activate the same genes retinoids do
Unlike retinoids, this ingredient will not increase photosensitivity and is safe to use during pregnancy (but please still check in with your doctor!).
The flagship clinical trial from Dhaliwal et al. 2019 found 0.5% bakuchiol (twice daily) and 0.5% retinol (once daily) reduced wrinkles and hyperpigmentation equally, but bakuchiol had significantly less irritation.
Systematic reviews also back this up:
Bakuchiol is comparable to retinol for photoaging but with better tolerability. It also has mild antibacterial properties against Cutibacterium acnes and antifungal activity in vitro against Candida and dermatophytes.
The reason bakuchiol works well is due to its structure; it is a meroterpene phenol, or a hybrid molecule. The phenol half acts as an antioxidant while the terpene half is fat-loving. This helps the molecule slip through the skin barrier.
This ingredient is usually used between 0.5-2%. Only one case of contact dermatitis has ever been reported for this ingredient.
Learn more about BakuchiolGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateWater. 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
