What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitrus Limon Fruit Oil
Astringent
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingPalmitoyl Tripeptide-38
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Glycine Soja Protein
EmulsifyingHydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningSuperoxide Dismutase
Antioxidant
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Glycerin, Phenethyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Xanthan Gum, Citrus Limon Fruit Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycine Soja Protein, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Superoxide Dismutase, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Dimethyl Sulfone
SolventCitric Acid
Buffering
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Superoxide Dismutase
Antioxidant
Lactobionic Acid
Buffering
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Glutathione
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Mandelic Acid
Antimicrobial
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Linolenic Acid
Cleansing
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Methyldihydrojasmonate
MaskingHydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
N-Prolyl Palmitoyl Tripeptide-56 Acetate
Skin Conditioning
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Dimethyl Sulfone, Citric Acid, Polysorbate 20, Glycerin, Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycolic Acid, Superoxide Dismutase, Lactobionic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Glutathione, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Mandelic Acid, Linoleic Acid, Retinyl Palmitate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Oleic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Tocopherol, Linolenic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Pentylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Methyldihydrojasmonate, Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, N-Prolyl Palmitoyl Tripeptide-56 Acetate, Benzyl Alcohol, Dehydroacetic 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.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinJojoba oil is one of the most well-studied plant-derived ingredients in cosmetics. It is an emollient with a special structure.
Because it is made up of 97-98% wax esters, it closely mirrors the linear monoesters found in human sebum. This makes it skin compatible, non-greasy, and lightweight.
Unlike other plant oils, jojoba wax doesn't easily penetrate skin. It mostly works in the uppermost layers as an emollient. This just means it forms a light barrier on the skin to help retain moisture.
Formulations with jojoba esters up to 90% reduced transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and increased barrier recovery by 81% (outperforming bisabolol at 47%).
Besides barrier support, the science also suggests jojoba to have anti-inflammatory effects and potential applications for skin infections, aging, and wound healing.
Fun fact: Indigenous cultures have used jojoba as a moisturizer and to help treat burns for centuries.
Due to its fatty acid content, Jojoba oil may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Simmondsia Chinensis Seed OilSodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (SAP) is a water-soluble form of Vitamin C. It is the salt of ascorbic acid.
This ingredient is commonly used in skincare because it's more formulation-stable while still offering the same benefits as pure ascorbic acid. Ascorbic acid is notorious for breaking down when exposed to sunlight and oxygen whereas SAP has been shown to be more stable.
Studies show SAP has anti-acne and antioxidant benefits. One study found 5% of SAP lotion to be an effective ingredient for treating acne vulgaris. This is because research shows that SAP may help control acne by reducing acne-causing bacteria and slowing the oxidation of skin oils caused by UV exposure.
In addition to acne, vitamin C is important for skin structure. Lab studies suggest SAP may support collagen production in skin cells, making it a great ingredient in anti-aging routines.
Vitamin C has many benefits: it helps reduce redness, improve skin texture, fade the appearance of dark spots, and brighten the skin.
Read more about other types of Vitamin C:
Learn more about Sodium Ascorbyl PhosphateSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateSuperoxide Dismutase is found in all living cells. This ingredient is AKA as 'SOD'.
SOD is a strong antioxidant. It protects living cells against oxidative damage by breaking down radical molecules into regular oxygen and hydrogen peroxide.
Antioxidants help fight free-radical molecules that may damage your skin's DNA. This may help with the signs of aging. Due to its antioxidant property, it is used to help treat chronic inflammation.
In cosmetics, SOD is usually obtained from marine phytoplankton, bovine liver, horseradish, cantaloupe, and certain bacteria.
The three major families of SOD include: Copper/Zinc, Iron/Manganese, and Nickel.
When eating SOD-rich foods, our bodies break it down into amino acids before absorption. Foods that contain SOD include: melons, citrus, spinach, broccoli, kale, almonds, sunflower seeds, and blue-green algae.
Learn more about Superoxide DismutaseWater. 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
