What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCetearyl Isononanoate
EmollientParaffinum Liquidum
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Squalane
EmollientFructooligosaccharides
HumectantMannitol
HumectantXylitol
HumectantSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPolysorbate 60
EmulsifyingRhamnose
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingGlycyrrhetinic Acid
Skin ConditioningLaminaria Ochroleuca Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantWater, Glycerin, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Paraffinum Liquidum, Pentylene Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Disodium EDTA, Squalane, Fructooligosaccharides, Mannitol, Xylitol, Sodium Hydroxide, Polysorbate 60, Rhamnose, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantDiphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin ConditioningPEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate
EmollientDipropylene Glycol
HumectantIsotridecyl Isononanoate
EmollientCyclopentasiloxane
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 60
EmulsifyingAlcohol Denat.
AntimicrobialGlycosyl Trehalose
Emulsion StabilisingHydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate
HumectantIsostearic Acid
CleansingHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeSqualane
EmollientHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantStearyl Glycyrrhetinate
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingAmmonium Ferric Pentetate
HumectantLycium Barbarum Fruit Extract
AstringentAstragalus Membranaceus Root Extract
EmollientZanthoxylum Piperitum Peel Extract
AntimicrobialPaeonia Albiflora Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPrunus Armeniaca Kernel Extract
Skin ConditioningPoria Cocos Extract
Skin ConditioningPinellia Ternata Tuber Extract
Skin ConditioningLilium Candidum Bulb Extract
Skin ConditioningJasminum Sambac Flower Extract
MaskingOphiopogon Japonicus Root Extract
Skin ConditioningZiziphus Jujuba Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningDioscorea Japonica Root Extract
Skin ConditioningCentaurea Cyanus Flower Extract
AstringentPrunus Mume Extract
AntioxidantCitrus Unshiu Peel Extract
MaskingRehmannia Glutinosa Root Extract
Skin ConditioningGanoderma Lucidum Extract
Skin ProtectingPhellodendron Amurense Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningPanax Ginseng Root Extract
EmollientNelumbo Nucifera Seed Extract
AntimicrobialMethylparaben
PreservativeSorbitan Isostearate
EmulsifyingWater, Glycerin, Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone, PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Dipropylene Glycol, Isotridecyl Isononanoate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Pentylene Glycol, Polysorbate 60, Alcohol Denat., Glycosyl Trehalose, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Isostearic Acid, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Squalane, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Glyceryl Stearate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol, Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Ammonium Ferric Pentetate, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Astragalus Membranaceus Root Extract, Zanthoxylum Piperitum Peel Extract, Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Extract, Poria Cocos Extract, Pinellia Ternata Tuber Extract, Lilium Candidum Bulb Extract, Jasminum Sambac Flower Extract, Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract, Ziziphus Jujuba Fruit Extract, Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract, Centaurea Cyanus Flower Extract, Prunus Mume Extract, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Rehmannia Glutinosa Root Extract, Ganoderma Lucidum Extract, Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Seed Extract, Methylparaben, Sorbitan Isostearate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is a synthetic polymer. It is used to thicken, emulsify, and improve the texture of products.
As an emulsifier, it helps stabilize oil-in-water emulsions to give products an elegant feel when applied.
It can also form a thin protective film on skin. One study found that a formula using this polymer helped slow down how quickly other ingredients (like DEET) were absorbed through skin.
A 2024 study of over 1,300 patients confirmed that sensitization to this ingredient is rare. It is also non-mutagenic and has a clean track record.
Learn more about Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate CrosspolymerEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinThis is a synthetic polymer. It helps improve the texture of products by adding thickness and gel-like feel.
It is also an emulsifer, meaning it prevents ingredients such as oil and water from separating. It also helps evenly disperse other ingredients.
Pentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPolysorbate 60 is used to help stabilize products. It is a surfactant and emulsifier. These properties help keep ingredients together in a product. Surfactants help reduce surface tension between ingredients with different states, such as liquids and solids. Emulsifiers help prevent oils and waters from separating.
Polysorbate 60 is sorbitol-based and created from the ethoxylation of sorbitan. Ethoxylation is a chemical reaction used to add ethylene oxide. Sorbitan is a the dehydrated version of sorbitol, a sugar found in fruits.
In this case, the 60 comes from reacting 60 units of ethylene oxide with sorbitan.
Polysorbates are commonly used in medicine and foods.
Learn more about Polysorbate 60Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideSqualane 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, it’s 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 “oil-free” isn’t 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 SqualaneTocopherol 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