What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Isododecane
EmollientCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantNiacinamide
Smoothing
Squalane
Emollient
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
C14-22 Alcohols
Emulsion Stabilising
Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
C30-45 Alkyl Cetearyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingSteareth-21
CleansingDisodium EDTA
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingMannitol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Hexyldecanol
Emollient
PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Rhamnose
HumectantMalachite Extract
Antioxidant
Pyrus Malus Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningBrassica Campestris Sterols
EmollientTocopherol
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Isododecane, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dipropylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Squalane, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, C14-22 Alcohols, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, C30-45 Alkyl Cetearyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Pentylene Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Steareth-21, Disodium EDTA, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Mannitol, Xylitol, Hexyldecanol, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Rhamnose, Malachite Extract, Pyrus Malus Seed Extract, Brassica Campestris Sterols, Tocopherol, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Methyl Gluceth-20
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Vinyldimethicone
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingArginine
Masking
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Methyl Diisopropyl Propionamide
MaskingHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ocimum Basilicum Seed Extract
Antioxidant
Lysolecithin
EmulsifyingGlycine
Buffering
Serine
Masking
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Leucine
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Alanine
Masking
Lysine
Skin ConditioningTyrosine
MaskingPhenylalanine
Masking
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Potassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningProline
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Threonine
Valine
MaskingIsoleucine
Skin ConditioningHistidine
Humectant
Cysteine
Antioxidant
Methionine
Skin ConditioningSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Water, Cyclohexasiloxane, Methyl Gluceth-20, Glycerin, Propanediol, Vinyldimethicone, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Betaine, Butylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Dimethiconol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Arginine, Pentylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Methyl Diisopropyl Propionamide, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ocimum Basilicum Seed Extract, Lysolecithin, Glycine, Serine, Glutamic Acid, Aspartic Acid, Leucine, Tocopherol, Alanine, Lysine, Tyrosine, Phenylalanine, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Potassium Hyaluronate, Proline, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Threonine, Valine, Isoleucine, Histidine, Cysteine, Methionine, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Reviews
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 CopolymerDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinPentylene 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 GlycolTocopherol 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
