What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
MaskingZinc Oxide
Cosmetic ColorantTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic ColorantSesamum Indicum Seed Oil
EmollientCarica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
HumectantOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
MaskingEDTA
Citric Acid
BufferingGlycerin
HumectantAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
AntioxidantSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientEmulsifying Wax Nf
Cetyl Alcohol
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingTocopherol
AntioxidantKojic Acid
AntioxidantLavandula Angustifolia Oil
MaskingNiacinamide
SmoothingAscorbic Acid
AntioxidantWater, Sodium Benzoate, Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, EDTA, Citric Acid, Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Emulsifying Wax Nf, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Tocopherol, Kojic Acid, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Niacinamide, Ascorbic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientIsopropyl Myristate
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
EmollientSaccharide Isomerate
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingGlycerin
HumectantGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientImidazolidinyl Urea
PreservativePolyglycerin-3
HumectantStearic Acid
CleansingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeCrocus Sativus Callus Extract
AntioxidantShea Butter Glyceride
EmollientPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin ConditioningEthoxydiglycol
HumectantSodium Benzoate
MaskingNiacinamide
SmoothingKojic Dipalmitate
EmollientAlpha-Arbutin
AntioxidantCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningWater, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Isopropyl Myristate, Cetyl Alcohol, Saccharide Isomerate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Polyglycerin-3, Stearic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Crocus Sativus Callus Extract, Shea Butter Glyceride, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Ethoxydiglycol, Sodium Benzoate, Niacinamide, Kojic Dipalmitate, Alpha-Arbutin, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Gluconate, Tocopherol, Panthenol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholGlycerin (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 GlycerinNiacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.
And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.
You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.
In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.
If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.
When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.
In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).
Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.
Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.
The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.
Learn more about NiacinamideSodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Sodium BenzoateStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidTocopherol 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