What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
Cleansing
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Polysorbate 40
Emulsifying
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Tea-Stearate
Cleansing
PEG-2 Stearate
Emulsifying
Perfluorodecalin
Skin ConditioningAcetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Polyperfluoromethylisopropyl Ether
Skin ConditioningJuglans Regia Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningLeontopodium Alpinum Flower/Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningNasturtium Officinale Extract
Perfuming
Pimpinella Anisum Fruit Extract
MaskingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
P-Anisic Acid
Masking
Poloxamer 188
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Water, Stearic Acid, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Palmitic Acid, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Polysorbate 40, Pentylene Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Butylene Glycol, Tea-Stearate, PEG-2 Stearate, Perfluorodecalin, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Polyperfluoromethylisopropyl Ether, Juglans Regia Seed Extract, Leontopodium Alpinum Flower/Leaf Extract, Nasturtium Officinale Extract, Pimpinella Anisum Fruit Extract, Tocopherol, Sodium Benzoate, Caprylyl Glycol, P-Anisic Acid, Poloxamer 188, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Metabisulfite
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sucrose Polystearate
EmollientJojoba Esters
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil
Skin Protecting
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Betula Alba Bark Extract
Masking
Equisetum Arvense Extract
AstringentHedera Helix Leaf/Stem Extract
AntimicrobialLaminaria Ochroleuca Extract
Skin Conditioning
Fucus Vesiculosus Extract
Emollient
Mimosa Tenuiflora Bark Extract
Skin ProtectingCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialYeast Extract
Skin ConditioningRhizobian Gum
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glyceryl Caprate
EmollientAcacia Decurrens Flower Wax
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientPolyglycerin-3
Humectant
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Water, Propylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Sucrose Polystearate, Jojoba Esters, Niacinamide, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Betula Alba Bark Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Hedera Helix Leaf/Stem Extract, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Mimosa Tenuiflora Bark Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Yeast Extract, Rhizobian Gum, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glyceryl Caprate, Acacia Decurrens Flower Wax, Tocopherol, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Polyglycerin-3, Phenethyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Sorbic Acid
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholGlycerin (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 GlycerinHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil is a plant oil derived from the seeds of a sunflower.
It is rich in fatty acids, primarily linoleic acid and oleic acid. This gives it emollient and skin conditioning properties.
The reason this ingredient is so effective is because it forms a thin film on the skin that reduces transepidermal water loss (TEWL) while supplying linoleic acid to the stratum corneum to improve barrier strength.
The high linoleic acid content is particularly noteworthy for acne-prone skin.
Research suggests that acne-prone skin tends to be deficient in linoleic acid in sebum. Topical application may help replenish this to support a healthier follicular environment and less comedone-promoting sebum.
One randomized study found sunflower seed oil preserved skin barrier integrity in adult volunteers with and without atopic dermatitis (outperforming olive oil).
This ingredient is well-studied, gentle, and an effective emollient suitable for most skin types.
On fungal acne: This ingredient may not be Fungal acne (Malassezia folliculitis) safe. This is because it contains fatty acids with carbon chain lengths in the C11-C24 range.
Learn more about Helianthus Annuus Seed OilPhenoxyethanol 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.
Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene 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
