What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAmniotic Fluid
MoisturisingLecithin
EmollientLanolin Oil
EmollientPropylene Glycol
HumectantPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningSodium Acrylates Copolymer
Glycerin
HumectantAlcohol Denat.
AntimicrobialEthylhexyl Palmitate
EmollientSqualane
EmollientRaspberry Seed Oil/Palm Oil Aminopropanediol Esters
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Placental Protein
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Gelatin
Skin ConditioningYeast Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Ceratonia Siliqua Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingSodium Dehydroacetate
PreservativeLuffa Cylindrica Seed Oil
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantDimethylmethoxy Chromanol
AntioxidantEmbryo Extract
MoisturisingHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
EmollientPotassium Sulfate
Ceramide AP
Skin ConditioningPhytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningPapain
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientDiaminopropionoyl Tripeptide-33
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningWater, Amniotic Fluid, Lecithin, Lanolin Oil, Propylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Squalane, Raspberry Seed Oil/Palm Oil Aminopropanediol Esters, Hydrolyzed Placental Protein, Hydrolyzed Gelatin, Yeast Extract, Hydrolyzed Ceratonia Siliqua Seed Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Luffa Cylindrica Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol, Embryo Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Ceramide NP, Cholesterol, Potassium Sulfate, Ceramide AP, Phytosphingosine, Papain, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Caprylyl Glycol, Diaminopropionoyl Tripeptide-33, Ceramide EOP
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
HumectantDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantSucrose Polystearate
EmollientC10-18 Triglycerides
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
SmoothingPassiflora Edulis Seed Oil
EmollientPolyamide-5
Skin ConditioningBetula Alba Bark Extract
MaskingEquisetum Arvense Extract
AstringentHedera Helix Leaf/Stem Extract
AntimicrobialFucus Vesiculosus Extract
EmollientCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingGlycine Soja Oil
EmollientYeast Extract
Skin ConditioningBacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningHexapeptide-11
Skin ConditioningOligopeptide-1
Skin ConditioningOligopeptide-2
Skin ConditioningOligopeptide-3
Skin ConditioningAscorbyl Glucoside
AntioxidantAcetyl Glutamine
Skin ConditioningFolic Acid
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantLecithin
EmollientTocopherol
AntioxidantSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingButylene Glycol
HumectantHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingT-Butyl Alcohol
PerfumingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientWater, Propylene Glycol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glycerin, Sucrose Polystearate, C10-18 Triglycerides, Cetyl Alcohol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil, Polyamide-5, Betula Alba Bark Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Hedera Helix Leaf/Stem Extract, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Glycine Soja Oil, Yeast Extract, Bacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Hexapeptide-11, Oligopeptide-1, Oligopeptide-2, Oligopeptide-3, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Acetyl Glutamine, Folic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lecithin, Tocopherol, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Butylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, T-Butyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl 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, 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 GlycerinLecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
Learn more about LecithinPropylene 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 WaterYeast extract is a silky, clear liquid derived from yeast (usually Saccharomyces cerevisiae or Torula yeast).
This ingredient has plenty of skin benefits:
Bioferments of yeast and soy have been found to reduce hyperpigmentation at low levels.
Yeast extract is fungal acne safe because it's made up of amino acids, peptides, B vitamins, and nucleotides (not the C11-C24 fatty acids that Malassezia needs to thrive).
The "yeast" in the name can be misleading, but FA safety is about chemical composition and not ingredient origin.
Learn more about Yeast Extract