What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Shorea Stenoptera Seed Butter
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
C12-16 Alcohols
EmollientSodium Acrylates Copolymer
Ectoin
Skin Conditioning
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingLecithin
Emollient
Magnesium Chloride
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Water, Glycerin, Squalane, Shorea Stenoptera Seed Butter, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, C12-16 Alcohols, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Ectoin, Jojoba Esters, Palmitic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Lecithin, Magnesium Chloride, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Gluconate, Caprylyl Glycol, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Water
Skin ConditioningCetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glucose
Humectant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Heptapeptide-4
Humectant
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Phytate
Salix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate
Skin Conditioning
Tromethamine
Buffering1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Citrate
BufferingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Palmitic Acid, Octyldodecanol, Stearic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Saccharide Isomerate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glucose, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide AP, Ceramide NP, Acetyl Heptapeptide-4, Ceramide EOP, Cetearyl Glucoside, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Phytate, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Beta-Glucan, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Tromethamine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Citrate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.
It helps thicken a product's formula and makes it easier to spread by dissolving clumping compounds.
Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid. Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. It is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid. In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Be sure to patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCaprylyl 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 or alcohol, 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 GlycerinHydrogenated Lecithin is a more stable version of lecithin.
It's made by taking lecithin (a phospholipid commonly found in soybeans and egg yolks) and hydrogenating it. This just means the unsaturated fatty acids are turned into saturated ones so they don't go bad as easily.
This ingredient is an emollient, emulsifier, and penetration enhancer. As an emollient, it helps soften and hydrate skin by trapping moisture within. As an emulsifier, it prevents oil and water ingredients from separating.
Hydrogenated Lecithin can form tiny spherical structures made of phospholipid bilayers called liposomes. These liposomes are able to capture compounds inside their structure and deliver them through the skin barrier.
Because phospholipids are a natural component of our cell membranes, this ingredient is inherently compatible with skin.
A 2021 study found lecithin-based surfactants were less harsh and more tolerable comared to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).
Learn more about Hydrogenated LecithinPalmitic Acid is a fatty acid naturally found in our skin and in many plant and animal sources.
In cosmetics, it is usually derived from palm oil. It serves many purposes in skincare, acting as a cleanser, emollient, and emulsifier.
Interestingly, topically applied Palmitic Acid can be elongated into longer chain fatty acids and ceramides. A 2019 study found low levels of Palmitic Acid lead to slower development of cells, suggesting it plays a role in keeping your skin's renewal process on track.
The CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) panel determined it safe as used in cosmetics at concentrations up to 13%. It is non-irritating and non-sensitizing in clinical studies.
The culprit behind fungal acne, the Malassezia yeast, feeds on fatty acids with carbon chain lengths between C11-C24. Palmitic Acid, at C16, falls right into that sweet spot.
In vitro studies have shown that Palmitic Acid is one of the fatty acids that induce rapid Malassezia growth in lab settings.
It's worth noting that what feeds yeast in a lab doesn't necessarily feed it on your face since formulation and your skin's chemistry play a bigger role.
Learn more about Palmitic AcidWater. 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
