What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient
Myristoyl/Palmitoyl Oxostearamide/Arachamide Mea
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil
Humectant
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Sunflower Oil Decyl Esters
Skin Conditioning
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Viscum Album Fruit Extract
SoothingAcetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-10 Distearate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Phytate
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
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, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Myristoyl/Palmitoyl Oxostearamide/Arachamide Mea, Cetearyl Alcohol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Sunflower Oil Decyl Esters, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Viscum Album Fruit Extract, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Polyglyceryl-10 Distearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Sorbitan Stearate, Tocopherol, Beta-Glucan, Phytosterols, Allantoin, Carbomer, Sodium Phytate, Stearic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Salvia Officinalis Oil, Santalum Album Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol
Water
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Bran Water
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Panax Ginseng Root Water
Masking
Hydrogenated Polydecene
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Squalane
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientCetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Hydrogenated Coconut Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Honey Extract
Humectant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Coptis Japonica Root Extract
Skin ConditioningRaphanus Sativus Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningLycium Chinense Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract
Antioxidant
Phellinus Linteus Extract
Skin ConditioningDextrin
AbsorbentScutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Water, Oryza Sativa Bran Water, Glycerin, Panax Ginseng Root Water, Hydrogenated Polydecene, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Squalane, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Coconut Oil, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Disodium EDTA, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Honey Extract, Ceramide NP, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Raphanus Sativus Seed Extract, Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract, Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract, Phellinus Linteus Extract, Dextrin, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
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
Caprylic/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 TriglycerideCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil comes from the seeds of the safflower plant. It is a skin conditioning agent that helps soften skin and keep it hydrated.
This seed oil has an unusual fatty acid profile: it is one of the highest linoleic acid plant oils out there (~55-77%). It also has low amounts of oleic acid, and this high-linoleic/low-oleic ratio gets people excited.
Linoleic acid helps maintain skin barrier integrity and is a building block for the ceramides in your stratum corneum. Notably, people with acne tend to have lower linoleic acid in their skin lipids as well (and this gets worse as acne gets more severe).
Overall, it's a lightweight, fast-absorbing oil that has a long safety track record. Lab testing has found it to be non-irritating for skin or eyes.
The Malassezia yeast can metabolize the fatty acids in this oil to grow; therefore this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Carthamus Tinctorius Seed OilGlycerin (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 PropanediolSodium 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 HyaluronateWater. 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
