What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
C14-22 Alcohols
Emulsion Stabilising
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Methylparaben
Preservative
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingSodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingIsohexadecane
EmollientDisodium EDTA
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Water, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Squalane, C14-22 Alcohols, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, PEG-100 Stearate, Methylparaben, Glyceryl Stearate, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Isohexadecane, Disodium EDTA, Polysorbate 80, Sorbitan Oleate
Water
Skin ConditioningInulin
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Isoamyl Laurate
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Squalane
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Avena Sativa Kernel Oil
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Yogurt Powder
Sodium Caproyl Prolinate
HumectantCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingIsoamyl Cocoate
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDiglucosyl Gallic Acid
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Citric Acid
Buffering
Heptapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Lecithin
Emollient
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Water, Inulin, Glycerin, Isoamyl Laurate, Propanediol, Squalane, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Avena Sativa Kernel Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Yogurt Powder, Sodium Caproyl Prolinate, Carbomer, Isoamyl Cocoate, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Diglucosyl Gallic Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Dehydroacetic Acid, Polysorbate 60, Citric Acid, Heptapeptide-7, Lecithin, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Xanthan Gum, Sorbitan Isostearate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Sodium 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 HyaluronateSqualane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).
It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.
This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.
Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.
Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.
No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).
Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.
This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.
Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.
Read more about squalene with an "e".
Though squalane is often called an oil, it’s technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.
The term “oil-free” isn’t regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.
Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.
A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.
The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.
Learn more about SqualaneWater. 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
