What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningOctyldodecanol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Myristyl Alcohol
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Silybum Marianum Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingMyristyl Glucoside
CleansingCitric Acid
Buffering
Diutan Gum
Glyceryl Behenate
Emollient
Glyceryl Dibehenate
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Tribehenin
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
C15-19 Alkane
SolventC10-18 Triglycerides
Emollient
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Sucrose Stearate
EmollientCorn Starch Modified
AbsorbentCocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Maltooligosyl Glucoside
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Caprylate/Caprate
EmollientSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingGlycyrrhetinic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate
HumectantXanthan Gum
Emulsifying1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide
Skin ConditioningPhytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Citrate
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Mannitol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Benzotriazolyl Dodecyl P-Cresol
UV AbsorberRhamnose
HumectantTocopherol
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Water, Glycerin, C15-19 Alkane, C10-18 Triglycerides, Dipropylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Pentylene Glycol, Squalane, Sucrose Stearate, Corn Starch Modified, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Maltooligosyl Glucoside, Glyceryl Caprylate/Caprate, Sclerotium Gum, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Xanthan Gum, 1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide, Phytosphingosine, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Mannitol, Xylitol, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Benzotriazolyl Dodecyl P-Cresol, Rhamnose, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Citric 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 GlycerinHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil is a plant oil derived from the seeds of a sunflower.
It is rich in fatty acids, primarily linoleic acid and oleic acid. This gives it emollient and skin conditioning properties.
The reason this ingredient is so effective is because it forms a thin film on the skin that reduces transepidermal water loss (TEWL) while supplying linoleic acid to the stratum corneum to improve barrier strength.
The high linoleic acid content is particularly noteworthy for acne-prone skin.
Research suggests that acne-prone skin tends to be deficient in linoleic acid in sebum. Topical application may help replenish this to support a healthier follicular environment and less comedone-promoting sebum.
One randomized study found sunflower seed oil preserved skin barrier integrity in adult volunteers with and without atopic dermatitis (outperforming olive oil).
This ingredient is well-studied, gentle, and an effective emollient suitable for most skin types.
On fungal acne: This ingredient may not be Fungal acne (Malassezia folliculitis) safe. This is because it contains fatty acids with carbon chain lengths in the C11-C24 range.
Learn more about Helianthus Annuus Seed OilPentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolTocopherol (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 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
