What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Cocoglycerides
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Coco-Caprylate
Emollient
Inulin
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Bacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Cyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningSodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialLactic Acid
Buffering
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Amorphophallus Konjac Root Extract
HumectantAlpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Sodium Anisate
AntimicrobialMontmorillonite
AbsorbentMyristyl Alcohol
Emollient
Anthocyanins
Cosmetic ColorantCitric Acid
Buffering
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Squalane, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Cocoglycerides, Propanediol, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Coco-Caprylate, Inulin, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Bacillus Ferment, Lactobacillus Ferment, Bisabolol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Cyanocobalamin, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Benzoate, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Lactic Acid, Maltodextrin, Amorphophallus Konjac Root Extract, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Sodium Anisate, Montmorillonite, Myristyl Alcohol, Anthocyanins, Citric Acid, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Sorbitol
Humectant
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Oleyl Erucate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Vegetable Glycerides Citrate
EmollientTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sorbitol, Stearyl Alcohol, Oleyl Erucate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Glyceryl Stearate, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Panthenol, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydrogenated Vegetable Glycerides Citrate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide
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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate Citrate is a citric acid ester of glyceryl stearate.
It is an emulsifier, emollient, and a surfactant.
Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. It does this by preventing certain ingredients from separating. Common ingredients include oils and water, which do not mix naturally. Emulsifiers have properties that help keep ingredients such as these together.
Emollients help soothe and soften the skin. They do this by creating a protective film on your skin. This barrier helps trap moisture and keeps your skin hydrated. Emollients may be effective at treating dry or itchy skin.
Surfactants help gather oils, dirt, and other pollutants from the skin. This helps them to be easily rinsed away.
Learn more about Glyceryl Stearate CitrateHelianthus 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 OilThis ingredient is also known as sweet almond oil. It is a lightweight, cold-pressed oil from the ripe seeds of the sweet almond tree.
Sweet almond oil is rich in skin-nourishing fatty acids such as oleic acid (55-86%) and linolenic acid (7-35%).
As an emollient, it softens and hydrates skin by forming a thin barrier that locks in moisture.
Clinical studies have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing. The CIR Expert Panel has evaluated the available safety data and concluded it is safe for topical use.
Because of the oleic acid content, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis OilTocopherol 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
