What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientSqualane
Emollient
C15-19 Alkane
SolventSodium Chloride
MaskingGlycerin
Humectant
Triethyl Citrate
Masking
Maltooligosyl Glucoside
Skin ConditioningSodium Citrate
BufferingHydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Mannitol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Rhamnose
HumectantCitric Acid
Buffering
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingO-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Natto Gum
Propanediol
Solvent
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Glutamylamidoethyl Indole
Skin ProtectingWater, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Squalane, C15-19 Alkane, Sodium Chloride, Glycerin, Triethyl Citrate, Maltooligosyl Glucoside, Sodium Citrate, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, 1,2-Hexanediol, 1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide, Pentylene Glycol, Bakuchiol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Mannitol, Xylitol, Rhamnose, Citric Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Xanthan Gum, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Natto Gum, Propanediol, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Glutamylamidoethyl Indole
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantBetaine
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Diethoxyethyl Succinate
SolventTromethamine
BufferingSucrose Stearate
EmollientSqualane
Emollient
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAsiaticoside
Antioxidant
Madecassic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Asiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion Stabilising3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Zinc PCA
Humectant
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientMadecassoside
Antioxidant
Sodium Trimetaphosphate
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Betaine, Niacinamide, Gluconolactone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Diethoxyethyl Succinate, Tromethamine, Sucrose Stearate, Squalane, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Carbomer, Caprylyl Methicone, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Ethylhexylglycerin, Cholesterol, Xanthan Gum, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, Asiatic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cellulose Gum, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Zinc PCA, Sodium Gluconate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Madecassoside, Sodium Trimetaphosphate
Reviews
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.Ā
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 preservativesĀ
Glycerin (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 GlycerinPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate is a cleansing agent and emulsifier.
It rounds up dirt, oil, and grime, so they can be rinsed off easily as a cleanser. On the emulsifier side, it keeps your formula smooth and well-mixed by playing peacekeeper for ingredients that don't naturally get along (like oil and water).
Because it has a C12 (lauric acid) fatty acid chain, this ingredient can potentially feed the Malassezia yeast that causes fungal acne. The Malassezia yeast prefers esters with C11-C24 fatty acids If you're prone to flare-ups, you might want to patch-test or skip this one.
This ingredient is an ester of lauric acid and Polyglycerin-10.
Learn more about Polyglyceryl-10 LaurateSqualane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).
It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.
This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.
Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.
Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.
No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).
Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.
This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.
Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.
Read more about squalene with an "e".
Though squalane is often called an oil, itās technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.
The term āoil-freeā isnāt regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.
Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.
A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.
The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.
Learn more about SqualaneWater. 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
