What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantC10-18 Triglycerides
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Mangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Sucrose Stearate
EmollientGlycyrrhetinic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingMannitol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Rhamnose
HumectantAcetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester
Skin Conditioning
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, C10-18 Triglycerides, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Sucrose Stearate, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Polyacrylate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Xanthan Gum, Mannitol, Xylitol, Rhamnose, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester
Water
Skin ConditioningParaffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Tridecyl Trimellitate
EmollientGlycol Palmitate
Emulsifying
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Triceteareth-4 Phosphate
EmulsifyingFructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Mannitol
Humectant
Persea Gratissima Oil Unsaponifiables
Skin Conditioning
Xylitol
Humectant
Glycol Stearate
Emollient
PEG-2 Stearate
Emulsifying
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingGlycyrrhetinic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingLaminaria Ochroleuca Extract
Skin Conditioning
Rhamnose
HumectantSodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Paraffinum Liquidum, Glycerin, Tridecyl Trimellitate, Glycol Palmitate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Triceteareth-4 Phosphate, Fructooligosaccharides, Mannitol, Persea Gratissima Oil Unsaponifiables, Xylitol, Glycol Stearate, PEG-2 Stearate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Pentylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Xanthan Gum, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract, Rhamnose, Sodium Hydroxide
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that 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. Just 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 ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCaprylyl 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 GlycerinGlycyrrhetinic acid is a compound found in licorice. It has skin conditioning, skin soothing, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties.
Not only is this a great ingredient for soothing inflammation, studies show this compound is effective at protecting skin against UV-B induced damage.
Fun fact: This ingredient is also used to mask the bitter taste of medicine.
Learn more about Glycyrrhetinic AcidMannitol is a sugar alcohol. It is a humectant and moisturizes the skin. In vitro (not tested on a living organism), mannitol displays antioxidant properties.
When found in aqueous solutions, mannitol tends to become acidic. This is because it loses a hydrogen ion. This is why mannitol can often be found with pH adjusting ingredients, such as sodium bicarbonate.
Fun fact: Mannitol can be found in foods as a sweetener. It can be naturally found in mushrooms, algae, fruits, and veggies.
Learn more about MannitolPentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolWe don't have a description for Rhamnose yet.
Water. 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 GumXylitol is a humectant and prebiotic. It can help with dry skin.
In studies, xylitol has been shown to improve dry skin. It decreased transepidermal water loss, or when water passes through the skin and evaporates. Xylitol also showed to help improve the biomechanical properties of the skin barrier.
The prebiotic property of xylitol may also help reinforce our skin's natural microbiome. Having a healthy microbiome prevents infection by bad bacteria and helps with hydration.
As a humectant, Xylitol helps draw moisture from both the air and from deeper skin layers. This helps keep skin hydrated.
Xylitol is a sugar alcohol and commonly used as a sugar substitute. It is naturally occurring in plants such as strawberries and pumpkin.
Learn more about Xylitol
