What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric/Myristic/Stearic Triglyceride
EmollientButylene Glycol
Humectant
Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate
EmollientAlgae Extract
EmollientTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Helianthus Annuus Seedcake
Abrasive
Glycine Soja Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Salvia Sclarea Extract
AntiseborrhoeicLens Esculenta Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hordeum Vulgare Extract
EmollientCamellia Japonica Flower Extract
EmollientLactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Glycol Dicaprate
EmollientPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingSorbitol
Humectant
Sodium Polyaspartate
HumectantLecithin
Emollient
Trehalose
Humectant
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Water
MaskingSodium Lactate
Buffering
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
T-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
C9-12 Alkane
SolventSodium Acrylates Copolymer
Propanediol
Solvent
Citric Acid
Buffering
Disodium EDTA
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Caprylic/Capric/Myristic/Stearic Triglyceride, Butylene Glycol, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Algae Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Helianthus Annuus Seedcake, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, Salvia Sclarea Extract, Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Hordeum Vulgare Extract, Camellia Japonica Flower Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment, Propylene Glycol Dicaprate, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Sorbitol, Sodium Polyaspartate, Lecithin, Trehalose, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Water, Sodium Lactate, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, T-Butyl Alcohol, Sodium PCA, Hydroxyethyl Urea, C9-12 Alkane, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Propanediol, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Isononanoate
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Squalane
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Mannose
HumectantAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Mineral Salts
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium PCA
Humectant
Vitreoscilla Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingBehenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCitric Acid
Buffering
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSalicylic Acid
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Dicaprylyl Ether, Stearyl Alcohol, Alcohol Denat., Squalane, Niacinamide, Pentylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Zea Mays Starch, Mannose, Adenosine, Mineral Salts, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium PCA, Vitreoscilla Ferment, Tocopherol, Arachidyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Glucoside, Behenyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Citric Acid, Myristic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Stearic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Salicylic Acid, Parfum
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 also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.
Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).
Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinSodium 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 HyaluronateSodium PCA is the sodium salt of pyroglutamic acid. It is naturally occurring in our skin's natural moisturizing factors where it works to maintain hydration.
The PCA stands for pyrrolidone carboxylic acid, a natural amino acid derivative.
This ingredient has skin conditioning, anti-inflammatory, and humectant properties. Humectants help hydrate your skin by drawing moisture from the air. This helps keep your skin moisturized.
Learn more about Sodium PCAWater. 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
