What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSqualane
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantDiethylhexyl Carbonate
EmollientHeptyl Undecylenate
EmollientAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Butylene Glycol
HumectantAlbizia Julibrissin Bark Extract
MaskingBakuchiol
AntimicrobialCaffeine
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycine Soja Oil
EmollientCaramel
Cosmetic ColorantSiloxanetriol Alginate
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantBeta-Sitosterol
Emulsion StabilisingSqualene
EmollientMaltodextrin
AbsorbentSorbic Acid
PreservativeDarutoside
Skin ConditioningTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic ColorantMica
Cosmetic ColorantAlumina
AbrasivePhenoxyethanol
PreservativeSodium Hydroxide
BufferingRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialWater, Squalane, Glycerin, Diethylhexyl Carbonate, Heptyl Undecylenate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Butylene Glycol, Albizia Julibrissin Bark Extract, Bakuchiol, Caffeine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Glycine Soja Oil, Caramel, Siloxanetriol Alginate, Tocopherol, Beta-Sitosterol, Squalene, Maltodextrin, Sorbic Acid, Darutoside, Titanium Dioxide, Mica, Alumina, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventGlycerin
HumectantSqualane
EmollientBoron Nitride
AbsorbentCaffeine
Skin ConditioningPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion Stabilising1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningParfum
MaskingPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningAvena Sativa Kernel Extract
AbrasiveTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPPG-26-Buteth-26
Skin ConditioningEscin
TonicPersea Gratissima Oil Unsaponifiables
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
MaskingCaramel
Cosmetic ColorantButylene Glycol
HumectantActinidia Chinensis Fruit Extract
EmollientKalanchoe Pinnata Leaf Extract
MaskingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingMarrubium Vulgare Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
MaskingAnthriscus Sylvestris Extract
Skin ConditioningHedychium Coronarium Root Extract
MaskingT-Butyl Alcohol
PerfumingCitric Acid
BufferingPhenethyl Alcohol
MaskingFurcellaria Lumbricalis Extract
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeMaris Sal
Skin ConditioningLapsana Communis Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningWater, Propanediol, Glycerin, Squalane, Boron Nitride, Caffeine, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Parfum, Pentylene Glycol, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ethylhexylglycerin, PPG-26-Buteth-26, Escin, Persea Gratissima Oil Unsaponifiables, Disodium EDTA, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Caramel, Butylene Glycol, Actinidia Chinensis Fruit Extract, Kalanchoe Pinnata Leaf Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Marrubium Vulgare Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Anthriscus Sylvestris Extract, Hedychium Coronarium Root Extract, T-Butyl Alcohol, Citric Acid, Phenethyl Alcohol, Furcellaria Lumbricalis Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Maris Sal, Lapsana Communis Flower/Leaf/Stem 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.
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer is a synthetically created polymer. It's used as a film-forming agent and used to thicken the consistency of products.
Think of it as a supportive ingredient that helps your gel-creams feel silky, "cloud cream-like", and spread evenly without being greasy.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel evaluated it (along with 22 other acryloyldimethyltaurate polymers) and concluded it's:
Due to its large molecular size, it sits on the surface of skin rather than penetrating it.
Learn more about Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp CopolymerButylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCaffeine is a naturally occurring plant compound found in coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa pods, and guarana.
As an antioxidant, caffeine protects your skin from free radical damage caused by UV exposure and envionrmnetal stressors.
Early research also shows that caffeine can help calm redness, soothe irritated skin, and support hair growth by stimulating microcirculation in the scalp.
You might have seen eye creams marketing caffeine as a depuffing ingredient. This is because it is a vasoconstrictor meaning it can temporarily constrict blood vessels, though clinical evidence for this specific use is still limited.
Most skincare products contain this ingredient at concentrations between 1-6%. It is able to penetrate skin easily regardless of skin type or thickness.
Just so you know, a very small number of case reports describe caffeine-induced allergy. This ingredient is generally well-tolerated, non-irritating, and non-sensitizing for the majority of people.
Learn more about CaffeineWe don't have a description for Caramel yet.
Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinSodium 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 HydroxideSqualane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).
It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.
This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.
Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.
Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.
No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).
Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.
This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.
Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.
Read more about squalene with an "e".
Though squalane is often called an oil, itâs technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.
The term âoil-freeâ isnât regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.
Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.
A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.
The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.
Learn more about SqualaneTocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. 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