What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Helianthus Annuus Hybrid Oil
Emollient
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Carrageenan
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Sodium Citrate
BufferingGlycerin
Humectant
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientSodium Anisate
AntimicrobialSodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Propanediol, Helianthus Annuus Hybrid Oil, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Benzyl Alcohol, Carrageenan, Cetearyl Alcohol, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Bakuchiol, Tocopherol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Sodium Citrate, Glycerin, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Glycine Soja Oil, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Glyceryl Caprylate, Sodium Anisate, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Benzoate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Methylpropanediol
SolventHydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Pantolactone
Humectant
Creatine
Skin Conditioning1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Sulfate
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
CI 15985
Cosmetic ColorantCI 47005
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Methylpropanediol, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Bakuchiol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Pantolactone, Creatine, 1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Sodium Sulfate, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, CI 15985, CI 47005
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Bakuchiol is a plant-derived antioxidant from the seeds of the Psoralea corylifolia plant. It has antimicrobial, emollient, skin conditioning, and antioxidant properties.
You'll likely see it called a "retinol replacement" but the two are technically not related. This is because bakuchiol is able to flip many of the same switches in your skin cells to tell them to:
1) produce more collagen (type I, III, and IV)
2) activate the same genes retinoids do
Unlike retinoids, this ingredient will not increase photosensitivity and is safe to use during pregnancy (but please still check in with your doctor!).
The flagship clinical trial from Dhaliwal et al. 2019 found 0.5% bakuchiol (twice daily) and 0.5% retinol (once daily) reduced wrinkles and hyperpigmentation equally, but bakuchiol had significantly less irritation.
Systematic reviews also back this up:
Bakuchiol is comparable to retinol for photoaging but with better tolerability. It also has mild antibacterial properties against Cutibacterium acnes and antifungal activity in vitro against Candida and dermatophytes.
The reason bakuchiol works well is due to its structure; it is a meroterpene phenol, or a hybrid molecule. The phenol half acts as an antioxidant while the terpene half is fat-loving. This helps the molecule slip through the skin barrier.
This ingredient is usually used between 0.5-2%. Only one case of contact dermatitis has ever been reported for this ingredient.
Learn more about BakuchiolCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholCitric 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 GlycerinWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
