What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientPropanediol
Solvent
C14-22 Alcohols
Emulsion Stabilising
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingC12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingTromethamine
BufferingAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Eclipta Prostrata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Betaine
Humectant
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningAvena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Extensin
Skin ConditioningBeta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Cornus Officinalis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPrunus Serotina Fruit Extract
MaskingPunica Granatum Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract
AstringentVaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract
AstringentEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5
Humectant
Copper Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Hexapeptide-11
Skin Conditioning
Hexapeptide-9
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Propanediol, C14-22 Alcohols, Glyceryl Stearate, Carbomer, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Tromethamine, Adenosine, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Butylene Glycol, Betaine, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Hydrolyzed Extensin, Beta-Glucan, Cornus Officinalis Fruit Extract, Prunus Serotina Fruit Extract, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, Copper Tripeptide-1, Hexapeptide-11, Hexapeptide-9, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Water
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Propanediol
Solvent
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientPolyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Salix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract
Skin Protecting
Pinus Palustris Leaf Extract
TonicUlmus Davidiana Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Oenothera Biennis Flower Extract
AstringentPueraria Lobata Root Extract
HumectantAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTromethamine
BufferingDisodium EDTA
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Water, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Propanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Beeswax, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract, Pinus Palustris Leaf Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Oenothera Biennis Flower Extract, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Allantoin, Beta-Glucan, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Xanthan Gum, Tromethamine, Disodium EDTA, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone
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
Beta-Glucan is a soluble polysaccharide (a chain of glucose sugars) sourced from the cells walls of oats, baker's yeast, mushrooms, and seaweed.
It's a rare ingredient that pulls double-duty as a heavy-duty hydrator and skin-soothing repair agent.
On the surface, it acts as a humectant that holds water in place and reduces moisture loss for a plumper, smoother feel, while its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties make it a great pick for calming redness or sensitive skin
The more interesting story is underneath:
Despite its large molecular size, oat beta-glucan has been shown to penetrate the epidermis and reach the dermis by slipping between skin cells. Here, it interacts with fibroblasts and macrophages to nudge collagen synthesis and support wound repair.
A small 2005 split-face clinical study of 27 subjects found topical beta-glucan produced measurable reductions in wrinkle depth, height, and roughness after 8 weeks of use.
It is worth noting the trial was small and the penetration testing used frozen, irradiated skin so the anti-aging data is encouraging rather than definitive.
This ingredient gets along with pretty much everything and is typically used around 0.1-1%.
Fungal acne: This ingredient is not a food source for the Malassezia yeast because it is a glucose polysaccharide with no fatty acid or ester component.
Learn more about Beta-GlucanCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that 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. Just 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.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCetyl Ethylhexanoate is an emollient ester. It comes from cetearyl alcohol and 2-ethylhexanoic acid.
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate is an emollient that adds a velvety feel to skin without being greasy or oily. Emollients help trap moisture into your skin, keeping your skin soft and hydrated.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolTromethamine (aka THAM) is a synthetic amino acid that shows up in skincare as a helper ingredient.
It functions as a pH adjuster to help neutralize acidic ingredients and set a formula's pH to the right spot.
This matters a lot because a lot of actives (like vitamin C) needs a specific pH to work well and feel comfortable on skin.
Concentration use ranges from 0.1-1.0% depending on the formula.
Learn more about TromethamineWater. 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
