What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningC12-20 Acid PEG-8 Ester
Emulsifying
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Propylheptyl Caprylate
EmollientGardenia Taitensis Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientSynthetic Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine
Emulsifying
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Sh-Polypeptide-82
Skin Conditioning
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialTocopherol
Antioxidant
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
Antioxidant
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Phosphate
BufferingWater, C12-20 Acid PEG-8 Ester, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glycerin, Squalane, Propylheptyl Caprylate, Gardenia Taitensis Flower Extract, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Isononyl Isononanoate, Synthetic Beeswax, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, Phytosterols, Ceramide NP, Sh-Polypeptide-82, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Glyceryl Caprylate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Phosphate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Myristoyl/Palmitoyl Oxostearamide/Arachamide Mea
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-10 Distearate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil
Humectant
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Sunflower Oil Decyl Esters
Skin Conditioning
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Viscum Album Fruit Extract
SoothingSorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Arginine
Masking
Sodium Phytate
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil
Masking
Salvia Officinalis Oil
Masking
Santalum Album Oil
Masking
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, Myristoyl/Palmitoyl Oxostearamide/Arachamide Mea, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-10 Distearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Sunflower Oil Decyl Esters, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Viscum Album Fruit Extract, Sorbitan Stearate, Beta-Glucan, Tocopherol, Phytosterols, Carbomer, Allantoin, Stearic Acid, Arginine, Sodium Phytate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Salvia Officinalis Oil, Santalum Album Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol
Reviews
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 GlycerinPhytosterols are plant-derived sterols (you can think of them as the plant world's version of cholesterol). In cosmetics, this ingredient is usually sourced from soybean, rice bran, shea, sunflower, and other seed oils.
The main actors in this group are β-sitosterol, campesterol, and stigmasterol (the CIR covers 27 phytosterols).
They work by fitting perfectly into your stratum corneum's lipid matrix since they're structurally similar to cholesterol. Here, they reinforce your skin's barrier.
One small in vivo human study showed topical soybean phytosterols sped up barrier recovery within three days on tape-stripped skin.
Broader research credits them with:
Formulation use typically sit under 5%.
Testing in soy-allergic subjects found no sensitization signals, but be sure to patch test if you are unsure or have existing allergies.
Learn more about PhytosterolsTocopherol 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 Water
