What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Cetearyl Isononanoate
Emollient
Isoamyl Laurate
Emollient
Coco-Caprylate
Emollient
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
Emollient
Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Cetearyl Olivate
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingCitric Acid
Buffering
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Isoamyl Laurate, Coco-Caprylate, Bakuchiol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Cetearyl Olivate, Retinyl Palmitate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Sorbitan Olivate, Sclerotium Gum, Citric Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPolyglyceryl-6 Behenate
Emulsion Stabilising
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingArginine/Lysine Polypeptide
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningRetinol
Skin Conditioning
Acacia Seyal Gum Extract
HumectantCyclodextrin
AbsorbentLecithin
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialTocopherol
Antioxidant
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Water, Glycine Soja Oil, Propanediol, Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate, Glycerin, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Sclerotium Gum, Stearyl Alcohol, Retinyl Palmitate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Xanthan Gum, Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Arginine/Lysine Polypeptide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Retinol, Acacia Seyal Gum Extract, Cyclodextrin, Lecithin, Citric Acid, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Potassium Sorbate, Sorbic Acid, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol
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 OilPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Retinyl palmitate is a form of retinoid. Retinoids are the superstar class of anti-aging ingredients that include tretinoin and retinol.
This particular ingredient has had a bumpy year with its rise and fall in popularity.
First, Retinyl palmitate is created from palmitic acid and retinol. It is a retinol ester and considered one of the weaker forms of retinoid.
This is because all retinoids have to be converted to Tretinoin, AKA retinoic acid. Retinyl Palmitate is pretty far down the line and has to go through multiple conversions before its effects are seen.
Due to this long and ineffective conversion line, the benefits of Retinyl Palmitate are debated.
Studies show Retinyl Palmitate to help:
Dermatologists say this ingredient is ineffective because it isn't used in high enough concentrations in cosmetics.
This ingredient used to be found in sunscreens to boost the efficacy of sunscreen filters.
The downfall of Retinyl Palmitate was due to released reports about the ingredient being correlated to sun damage and skin tumors.
While there is a study showing this ingredient to cause DNA damage when exposed to UV-A, there is no concrete proof of it being linked to skin cancer. It is safe to use when used correctly.
All retinoids increase your skin's sensitivity to the sun in the first few months of usage. Be especially careful with reapplying sunscreen when using any form of retinoid.
Currently, this ingredient is still allowed in cosmetics all over the world. In Canada, cosmetics must have a warning label stating the product to contain Retinyl Palmitate
Fun fact: This ingredient is often added to low-fat milk to increase the levels of Vitamin A.
Learn more about Retinyl PalmitateSclerotium Gum is a polysaccharide gum made by the fungus, Sclerotium rolfssii. It is similar to xanthan gum.
In cosmetics, Sclerotium Gum is used to thicken the texture and to help stabilize other ingredients.
As an emulsifier, Sclerotium Gum helps prevent ingredients from separating, such as water and oil.
Learn more about Sclerotium GumTocopherol (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 Water
