What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningIsopropyl Palmitate
EmollientCoco-Caprylate
EmollientEthylhexyl Stearate
EmollientLactococcus Ferment Lysate
Skin ConditioningAlanine
MaskingSerine
MaskingThreonine
Arginine
MaskingLysine Hcl
Skin ConditioningProline
Skin ConditioningGlycine Soja Oil
EmollientGlyceryl Linoleate
EmollientGlyceryl Linolenate
EmollientGlyceryl Oleate
EmollientGlyceryl Palmitate
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPlukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil
EmollientSalvia Hispanica Seed Oil
EmollientCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningFructooligosaccharides
HumectantBetaine
HumectantTocopherol
AntioxidantSodium PCA
HumectantGlycine
BufferingGlutamic Acid
HumectantHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientLauryl Glucoside
CleansingPolyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
Cleansing1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientBeta Vulgaris Root Extract
Skin ConditioningParfum
MaskingSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningPotassium Lactate
BufferingPCA
HumectantSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingPhytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
EmollientSodium Chloride
MaskingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Lactate
BufferingLactic Acid
BufferingCitric Acid
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeSodium Benzoate
MaskingWater, Isopropyl Palmitate, Coco-Caprylate, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, Alanine, Serine, Threonine, Arginine, Lysine Hcl, Proline, Glycine Soja Oil, Glyceryl Linoleate, Glyceryl Linolenate, Glyceryl Oleate, Glyceryl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil, Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Fructooligosaccharides, Betaine, Tocopherol, Sodium PCA, Glycine, Glutamic Acid, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Lauryl Glucoside, Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Glycerin, Carbomer, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Beta Vulgaris Root Extract, Parfum, Sodium Gluconate, Potassium Lactate, PCA, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Sodium Chloride, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Ceramide EOP, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Lactate, Lactic Acid, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingOctyldodecanol
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantCetearyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningCera Alba
EmollientSorbitan Olivate
EmulsifyingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingParfum
Masking1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingHydrolyzed Soy Protein
HumectantTocopherol
AntioxidantTropolone
Skin ConditioningGlycine Soja Oil
EmollientWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Octyldodecanol, Glycerin, Cetearyl Glucoside, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cera Alba, Sorbitan Olivate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Xanthan Gum, Parfum, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hydroxide, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Tocopherol, Tropolone, Glycine Soja 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.
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
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 GlycerinGlycine Soja Oil is a plant-derived oil from soybean seeds. Like other oils, it is rich in essential fatty acids (mostly linoleic and oleic) that support skin hydration and barrier function.
The fatty acids are able to integrate into the lipid matrix of the stratum corneum to help soften skin and reduce water loss.
On top of that, soybean oil is rich in vitamins like vitamin E, a potent antioxidant.
Research on soybean's active components also point to anti-inflammatory, collagen-stimulating, antioxidant activity, and protection against UV-induced oxidative damage.
Most of this research applies to the broader soybean plant and not just the oil fraction alone.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe due to the oleic acid content.
Learn more about Glycine Soja OilParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideTocopherol 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 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