What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSaccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Citrate
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingLactic Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Isopropyl Myristate, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Propylene Glycol, Stearyl Alcohol, Carbomer, Saccharide Isomerate, Tocopherol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Lactic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate
Water
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glyceryl Myristate
EmollientHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingCetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Parfum
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
Eugenol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Water, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Myristate, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Cetyl Palmitate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Allantoin, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract, Glycerin, Carbomer, Stearyl Alcohol, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Glycine Soja Oil, Citric Acid, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Tocopherol, Limonene, Linalool, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Citronellol, Citral, Coumarin, Eugenol, Geraniol, Benzyl Benzoate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric 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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Sodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Sodium BenzoateSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideStearyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol from stearic acid. It is a white, waxy compound used to emulsify ingredients used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Emollients help soothe and hydrate the skin by trapping moisture.
Fatty alcohols are usually derived from natural fats and oils and therefore do not have the same drying or irritating effect as solvent (ethanol) alcohols.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Stearyl AlcoholTocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
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
