What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientBetaine
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
C9-12 Alkane
SolventHordeum Vulgare Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Acrylates Copolymer
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Glycerin
Humectant
Lecithin
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Citric Acid
Buffering
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Betaine, Propanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, C9-12 Alkane, Hordeum Vulgare Seed Extract, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Glycerin, Lecithin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Parfum, Limonene, Centella Asiatica Extract, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Isohexadecane
EmollientC32-36 Isoalkyl Stearate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Soluble Collagen
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Elastin
EmollientBis-PEG-12 Dimethicone Beeswax
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Water, Glycerin, Potassium Sorbate, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Phenoxyethanol, Isohexadecane, C32-36 Isoalkyl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Soluble Collagen, Hydrolyzed Elastin, Bis-PEG-12 Dimethicone Beeswax, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Glucoside, Stearic Acid, Zea Mays Starch, Niacinamide, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caprylyl Glycol, Allantoin, Sodium Hydroxide, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that 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. Just 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.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideGlycerin (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.
Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.
This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.
Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.
You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.
Learn more about Potassium SorbateWater. 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
