What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Extract 12.3%
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantCetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientGlutathione
Niacinamide
SmoothingMadecassic Acid
Skin ConditioningAsiaticoside
AntioxidantAsiatic Acid
Skin ConditioningSolanum Melongena Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract
PerfumingHydrolyzed Collagen
EmollientBeta-Glucan
Skin ConditioningHippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningNelumbo Nucifera Extract
Skin ConditioningArtemisia Annua Extract
MaskingOryza Sativa Extract
AbsorbentSaccharomyces Ferment
Skin ConditioningSqualane
EmollientSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantDipropylene Glycol
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingCholesterol
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingCyclopentasiloxane
EmollientCyclohexasiloxane
EmollientSaccharide Hydrolysate
HumectantSorbitan Stearate
EmulsifyingDimethicone
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
SurfactantStearic Acid
Cleansing1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientWater, Centella Asiatica Extract 12.3%, Glycerin, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Glutathione, Niacinamide, Madecassic Acid, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Beta-Glucan, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Extract, Artemisia Annua Extract, Oryza Sativa Extract, Saccharomyces Ferment, Squalane, Sodium Hyaluronate, Dipropylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Cholesterol, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Saccharide Hydrolysate, Sorbitan Stearate, Dimethicone, PEG-100 Stearate, Stearic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Chlorphenesin, Carbomer, Caprylyl Glycol
Water
Skin ConditioningOctocrylene
UV AbsorberEthylhexyl Salicylate
UV AbsorberGlycerin
HumectantGlyceryl Montanate
EmulsifyingCetyl Alcohol
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientEmulsifying Wax Nf
Acrylates Crosspolymer
AbsorbentMethylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol
UV FilterSqualane
EmollientOzonized Sesame Seed Oil
Skin ConditioningCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
MaskingIsopropyl Palmitate
EmollientNiacinamide
SmoothingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeSodium Benzoate
MaskingCitric Acid
BufferingWater, Octocrylene, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Glycerin, Glyceryl Montanate, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Emulsifying Wax Nf, Acrylates Crosspolymer, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol, Squalane, Ozonized Sesame Seed Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Isopropyl Palmitate, Niacinamide, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Xanthan Gum, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholGlycerin (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 GlycerinNiacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.
And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.
You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.
In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.
If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.
When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.
In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).
Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.
Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.
The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.
Learn more about NiacinamideSqualane 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 SqualaneWater. 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