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
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Cetearyl Isononanoate
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Methylpropanediol
SolventLauroyl Lysine
Skin Conditioning
Isobutylamido Thiazolyl Resorcinol
Bleaching
Glycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Glucosylrutin
Antioxidant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingChondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingIsoquercitrin
Antioxidant
Trisodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Isopropyl Palmitate, Alcohol Denat., Cetearyl Isononanoate, Squalane, Panthenol, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Methylpropanediol, Lauroyl Lysine, Isobutylamido Thiazolyl Resorcinol, Glycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract, Tocopherol, Glucosylrutin, Carbomer, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Isoquercitrin, Trisodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycerinTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
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 Water
