What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Nylon-12
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
PEG-20 Stearate
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Calcium PCA
Humectant
Acrylonitrile/Methyl Methacrylate/Vinylidene Chloride Copolymer
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingHydroxypalmitoyl Sphinganine
Skin Conditioning
Alteromonas Ferment Extract
Skin Conditioning
Corallina Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Cyclohexasiloxane, Propylene Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Squalane, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, PEG-100 Stearate, Beeswax, Glyceryl Stearate, Nylon-12, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, PEG-20 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Butylene Glycol, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Chlorphenesin, Caffeine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Calcium PCA, Acrylonitrile/Methyl Methacrylate/Vinylidene Chloride Copolymer, Adenosine, Sodium Hydroxide, Hydroxypalmitoyl Sphinganine, Alteromonas Ferment Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Adipic Acid/Neopentyl Glycol Crosspolymer
Pentaerythrityl Tetracaprylate/Tetracaprate
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Olea Europaea Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate
Humectant
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Propanediol
Solvent
Polyurethane-35
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
PEG-75 Stearate
Surfactant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Vp/Va Copolymer
Ceteth-20
CleansingSteareth-20
CleansingAmodimethicone
Biosaccharide Gum-4
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCarnosine
Skin Conditioning
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Algin
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Citric Acid
Buffering
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingLecithin
Emollient
Heptapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Adipic Acid/Neopentyl Glycol Crosspolymer, Pentaerythrityl Tetracaprylate/Tetracaprate, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycerin, Cyclohexasiloxane, Tocopherol, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Olea Europaea Leaf Extract, Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate, Benzyl Alcohol, Propanediol, Polyurethane-35, Stearic Acid, PEG-75 Stearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Vp/Va Copolymer, Ceteth-20, Steareth-20, Amodimethicone, Biosaccharide Gum-4, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carnosine, Caffeine, Algin, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Lecithin, Heptapeptide-7, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caffeine 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 CaffeineCaprylyl 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, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCetyl 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.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholCyclohexasiloxane is a type of silicone more commonly known as D6. It is an emollient and solvent.
Cyclohexasiloxane is used to evenly distribute ingredients throughout the product. When applied to the skin, Cyclohexasiloxane evaporates and leaves behind a silky feel.
As an emollient, it can help the skin feel soft and hydrated. It is also used to reduce frizz in hair products.
Learn more about CyclohexasiloxaneGlycerin (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 is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearatePeg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. As an emollient, it helps keep skin soft by trapping moisture in. On the other hand, emulsifiers help prevent oil and water from separating in a product.
PEGS are a hydrophilic polyether compound . There are 100 ethylene oxide monomers in Peg-100 Stearate. Peg-100 Stearate is polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid.
Phenoxyethanol 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.
Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateStearic 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 AcidWater. 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
