What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Polyglyceryl-3 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-3 Disiloxane Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Boron Nitride
Absorbent
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientSodium Chloride
MaskingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Isohexadecane
EmollientParfum
Masking
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Rosa Canina Fruit Extract
Astringent
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Water, Dimethicone, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Polyglyceryl-3 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Polyglyceryl-3 Disiloxane Dimethicone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Boron Nitride, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Isononyl Isononanoate, Sodium Chloride, Hydroxyacetophenone, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Isohexadecane, Parfum, Polysorbate 80, Sorbitan Oleate, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Tocopherol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Silica
Abrasive
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-150 Distearate
Emulsifying
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Backhousia Citriodora Leaf Extract
AstringentTocopherol
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Potassium Laurate
EmulsifyingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
PEG-240/Hdi Copolymer Bis-Decyltetradeceth-20 Ether
StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Water, Glycerin, Silica, Butylene Glycol, PEG-150 Distearate, Niacinamide, Polysorbate 80, Backhousia Citriodora Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Potassium Laurate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, PEG-240/Hdi Copolymer Bis-Decyltetradeceth-20 Ether, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer is a synthetically created polymer. It's used as a film-forming agent and used to thicken the consistency of products.
Think of it as a supportive ingredient that helps your gel-creams feel silky, "cloud cream-like", and spread evenly without being greasy.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel evaluated it (along with 22 other acryloyldimethyltaurate polymers) and concluded it's:
Due to its large molecular size, it sits on the surface of skin rather than penetrating it.
Learn more about Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp CopolymerButylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolNiacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.
And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.
You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.
In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.
If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.
When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.
In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).
Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.
Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.
The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.
Learn more about NiacinamidePhenoxyethanol 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.
Polysorbate 80 is a synthetic surfactant and emulsifier derived from sorbitol and oleic acid.
It reduces the surface tension between oil and water phases to help them stay mixed and stable in a formulation. In other words, it prevents your formulas from separating into an oily mess.
The CIR Expert Panel has evaluated the scientific data and found this ingredient to be safe, non-irritating, and non-sensitizing at concentrations up to 5% (it's even approved by the FDA as an OTC eye drop ingredient).
Learn more about Polysorbate 80Tocopherol 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
