What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningKaolin
AbrasiveSilica
AbrasiveGlycerin
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningCI 77007
Cosmetic ColorantPEG-40 Sorbitan Peroleate
EmulsifyingSodium Acrylates Copolymer
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantLecithin
EmollientMica
Cosmetic ColorantChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialBisabolol
AntioxidantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantHydrogenated Vegetable Oil
EmollientOpuntia Coccinellifera Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientPrunus Domestica Seed Oil
Skin ConditioningParfum
MaskingDisodium Phosphate
BufferingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCrithmum Maritimum Extract
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientTocopherol
AntioxidantCI 77510
Cosmetic ColorantSodium Phosphate
BufferingSphingolipids
EmollientSphingomonas Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantCitric Acid
BufferingPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
AntioxidantSodium Citrate
BufferingWater, Kaolin, Silica, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, CI 77007, PEG-40 Sorbitan Peroleate, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, CI 77499, Hydroxyacetophenone, Lecithin, Mica, Chlorphenesin, Bisabolol, CI 77491, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Opuntia Coccinellifera Flower Extract, CI 77891, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Prunus Domestica Seed Oil, Parfum, Disodium Phosphate, Potassium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, Crithmum Maritimum Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Tocopherol, CI 77510, Sodium Phosphate, Sphingolipids, Sphingomonas Ferment Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Citric Acid, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Sodium Citrate
Potato Starch Modified
Sea Silt
Skin ConditioningWater
Skin ConditioningZea Mays Starch
AbsorbentKaolin
AbrasiveSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
EmollientHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningCarya Ovata Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningCalendula Officinalis Flower Oil
MaskingDimethicone
EmollientTrehalose
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingBeeswax
Emulsion StabilisingTocopherol
AntioxidantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAllantoin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantLavandula Angustifolia Oil
MaskingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeSodium Benzoate
MaskingPotato Starch Modified, Sea Silt, Water, Zea Mays Starch, Kaolin, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cetyl Alcohol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Carya Ovata Bark Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Oil, Dimethicone, Trehalose, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Beeswax, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Allantoin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.
It helps thicken a product's formula and makes it easier to spread by dissolving clumping compounds.
Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid. Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. It is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid. In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Be sure to patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredientās final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideGlycerin (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 GlycerinKaolin is a clay. It is used for oil control and to help minimize pores. Like other clays, kaolin has the ability to absorb excess sebum or oil. This can help clean out pores and mattify the skin.
Some types of kaolin may have exfoliating properties. When water is added to kaolin, it becomes a paste with small abrasive particles.
Most kaolin is a white color, but may be pink/orange/red depending on where it comes from.
The name 'kaolin' comes from a Chinese village named 'Gaoling'. Kaolin clay comes from rocks rich in kaolinite. Kaolinite, the mineral, has a silicate layered structure. Kaolinite is formed from chemical weathering of aluminum siilicate minerals.
Besides skincare, kaolin is commonly used to make glossy paper, in ceramics, toothpaste, and as medicine to soothe stomach issues.
Learn more about KaolinJojoba oil is one of the most well-studied plant-derived ingredients in cosmetics. It is an emollient with a special structure.
Because it is made up of 97-98% wax esters, it closely mirrors the linear monoesters found in human sebum. This makes it skin compatible, non-greasy, and lightweight.
Unlike other plant oils, jojoba wax doesn't easily penetrate skin. It mostly works in the uppermost layers as an emollient. This just means it forms a light barrier on the skin to help retain moisture.
Formulations with jojoba esters up to 90% reduced transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and increased barrier recovery by 81% (outperforming bisabolol at 47%).
Besides barrier support, the science also suggests jojoba to have anti-inflammatory effects and potential applications for skin infections, aging, and wound healing.
Fun fact: Indigenous cultures have used jojoba as a moisturizer and to help treat burns for centuries.
Due to its fatty acid content, Jojoba oil may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Simmondsia Chinensis Seed 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 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