What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientTheobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Coconut Alkanes
Emollient
Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingBakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Rhododendron Ferrugineum Extract
MaskingTetrapeptide-21
Skin Conditioning
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Phytic Acid
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Arginine
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDisodium Phosphate
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Isononyl Isononanoate, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Coconut Alkanes, Cetyl Phosphate, Bakuchiol, Rhododendron Ferrugineum Extract, Tetrapeptide-21, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Phytic Acid, Tocopherol, Arginine, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Potassium Sorbate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Butylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Disodium Phosphate, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningSqualane
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil
Emollient
Punica Granatum Seed Oil
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Raphanus Sativus Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningBakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Olibanum
MaskingCamellia Sinensis Extract
Antioxidant
Sodium Cocoyl/Stearoyl (Alanine/Arginine/Asparagine/Aspartic Acid/Glutamic Acid/Glutamine/Glycine/Histidine/Isoleucine/Leucine/Lysine/Phenylalanine/Proline/Serine/Threonine/Tyrosine/Valine)
Emollient
Phenylalanine
Masking
Argania Spinosa Sprout Cell Extract
Skin ConditioningCurcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Tanacetum Annuum Flower Oil
Masking
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Diglucosyl Gallic Acid
Thioctic Acid
Antioxidant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Squalane, Propanediol, Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil, Punica Granatum Seed Oil, Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Raphanus Sativus Seed Extract, Bakuchiol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Jojoba Esters, Olibanum, Camellia Sinensis Extract, Sodium Cocoyl/Stearoyl (Alanine/Arginine/Asparagine/Aspartic Acid/Glutamic Acid/Glutamine/Glycine/Histidine/Isoleucine/Leucine/Lysine/Phenylalanine/Proline/Serine/Threonine/Tyrosine/Valine), Phenylalanine, Argania Spinosa Sprout Cell Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Tanacetum Annuum Flower Oil, Lactobacillus Ferment, Diglucosyl Gallic Acid, Thioctic Acid, Lactic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Bakuchiol is a plant-derived antioxidant from the seeds of the Psoralea corylifolia plant. It has antimicrobial, emollient, skin conditioning, and antioxidant properties.
You'll likely see it called a "retinol replacement" but the two are technically not related. This is because bakuchiol is able to flip many of the same switches in your skin cells to tell them to:
1) produce more collagen (type I, III, and IV)
2) activate the same genes retinoids do
Unlike retinoids, this ingredient will not increase photosensitivity and is safe to use during pregnancy (but please still check in with your doctor!).
The flagship clinical trial from Dhaliwal et al. 2019 found 0.5% bakuchiol (twice daily) and 0.5% retinol (once daily) reduced wrinkles and hyperpigmentation equally, but bakuchiol had significantly less irritation.
Systematic reviews also back this up:
Bakuchiol is comparable to retinol for photoaging but with better tolerability. It also has mild antibacterial properties against Cutibacterium acnes and antifungal activity in vitro against Candida and dermatophytes.
The reason bakuchiol works well is due to its structure; it is a meroterpene phenol, or a hybrid molecule. The phenol half acts as an antioxidant while the terpene half is fat-loving. This helps the molecule slip through the skin barrier.
This ingredient is usually used between 0.5-2%. Only one case of contact dermatitis has ever been reported for this ingredient.
Learn more about BakuchiolCetyl 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 AlcoholEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
