This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Squalane and Ceramide NP to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
This anti-aging moisturizer is formulated around Panthenol and Sodium Hyaluronate to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSqualane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Isoamyl Laurate
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Olivate
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Euterpe Oleracea Sterols
Skin ConditioningLinoleic Acid
Cleansing
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Linolenic Acid
Cleansing
Ethyl Linoleate
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Isoamyl Cocoate
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Sorbitan Palmitate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Gluconate
ChelatingWater, Squalane, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Isoamyl Laurate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetearyl Olivate, Ceramide NP, Jojoba Esters, Sodium Hyaluronate, Euterpe Oleracea Sterols, Linoleic Acid, Oleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Ethyl Linoleate, Tocopherol, Isoamyl Cocoate, Cetyl Palmitate, Sorbitan Palmitate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Gluconate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Propanediol
Solvent
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Synthetic Wax
Abrasive
Nylon-12
PEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer
Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Citrate
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Propylene Carbonate
SolventDipropylene Glycol
HumectantDisteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingDisodium EDTA
ChelatingParfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Propylene Glycol, Hydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol, Alcohol Denat., Propanediol, Panthenol, Synthetic Wax, Nylon-12, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid, Tocopherol, Sodium Polyacrylate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Adenosine, Chlorphenesin, Propylene Carbonate, Dipropylene Glycol, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Disodium EDTA, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateTocopherol 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
