What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPEG-35 Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Acetyl Octapeptide-3
Humectant
Pentapeptide-18
Skin Conditioning
Arginine Aspartate
Skin ConditioningCobalt Gluconate
Skin ConditioningCopper Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Pyridoxine Hcl
Skin ConditioningValine
MaskingZinc Chloride
AntimicrobialThiamine Hcl
MaskingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAvena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Water, PEG-35 Castor Oil, Ascorbic Acid, Glycerin, Retinyl Palmitate, Caprylyl Glycol, Tocopherol, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Acetyl Octapeptide-3, Pentapeptide-18, Arginine Aspartate, Cobalt Gluconate, Copper Gluconate, Pyridoxine Hcl, Valine, Zinc Chloride, Thiamine Hcl, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Biosaccharide Gum-4
Skin Conditioning
Carnosine
Skin Conditioning
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicThiamine Hcl
MaskingRiboflavin
Cosmetic ColorantPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Pyridoxine Hcl
Skin ConditioningInositol
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Linolenic Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningAvena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Water, Propanediol, Glycerin, Polysorbate 20, Isopropyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Retinyl Palmitate, Biosaccharide Gum-4, Carnosine, Biotin, Thiamine Hcl, Riboflavin, Panthenol, Pyridoxine Hcl, Inositol, Niacinamide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Sodium Gluconate, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Stearic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Parfum, Phenethyl Alcohol, Palmitic Acid, Oleic Acid
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract is is derived from colloidal oatmeal. Besides being a healthy breakfast, oats have many benefits in skincare too.
This ingredient helps sooth, hydrate, and protect the skin. The starches in colloidal oatmeal are able to bind water, keeping the skin hydrated.
The cellulose and fiber in colloidal oatmeal help reduce inflammation. This can also help the skin feel softer.
Colloidal Oatmeal is also an antioxidant. Antioxidants protect our skin from free-radical damage.
Oatmeal also contains beneficial compounds:
This ingredient is created by mixing grounded oatmeal and a liquid base.
Learn more about Avena Sativa Kernel ExtractCaprylyl 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 or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinPyridoxine hydrochloride, also known as vitamin B6, has skin conditioning properties. According to a manufacturer, this ingredient is an effective anti-dandruff treatment as it reduces sebum levels and oily spots.
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 PalmitateThiamine Hcl is Vitamin B1. The HCL stands for hydrochloride. Thiamine HCL is created using thiamine chloride and hydrochloric acid.
Our bodies use Thiamine HCL for aerobic metabolism, cell growth, and transmission of nerve impulses.
Learn more about Vitamin B in skincare:
Learn more about Thiamine HclTocopherol (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
