This barrier-repair eye moisturizer is formulated around Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil and Butyrospermum Parkii Butter to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
This anti-aging eye moisturizer is formulated around Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil and Tocopherol 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 ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Glyceryl Rosinate
Perfuming
Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningLonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract
Perfuming
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Hydrastis Canadensis Extract
MaskingHamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Royal Jelly
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingOlea Europaea Oil Unsaponifiables
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Rosinate, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Hydrastis Canadensis Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract, Royal Jelly, Xanthan Gum, Olea Europaea Oil Unsaponifiables, Tocopherol, Citric Acid, Glycine Soja Oil, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Cocoglycerides
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Laurate
Emollient
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Leontopodium Alpinum Callus Culture Extract
Antioxidant
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Marrubium Vulgare Extract
Skin ConditioningPhospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Anisate
AntimicrobialXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientSodium Phytate
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Cocoglycerides, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glyceryl Laurate, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ubiquinone, Leontopodium Alpinum Callus Culture Extract, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Marrubium Vulgare Extract, Phospholipids, Glycerin, Sodium Anisate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Levulinate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Sodium Phytate, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract comes from the marigold flower and has been used on skin for centuries for its calming effect.
In the lab, its active compounds appear to calm inflammation and support the early "healing" phase of minor wounds.
This is why Europe's medicines regulator has approved calendula extracts as a traditional remedy for minor skin inflammation and healing small wounds.
The stronger human evidence is around would/ulcer care rather than everyday cosmetic claims; a review that pulled together 14 studies found that calendula helped calm the early, inflamed stage of a wound and helped new skin tissue form faster.
Two studies also showed it shrank leg ulcers (the kind caused by poor circulation). Results were mixed for burns and for the skin irritation people get from radiation treatment, so it's not a sure thing there.
In cosmetics, it's mostly a skin conditioning and soothing agent.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel concluded that calendula-derived ingredients are safe as used and that the ingredients are not irritating, sensitizing, or photosensitizing in clinical tests (though they may be mild eye irritants).
Typical use levels are quite low; industry data reported it used at under 0.5% (one supplier noted a 10-25% extract blend used at 1-10% in the finished product). Historical use goes up to 10%.
The only thing to keep in mind is if you have daisy/ragweed allergies. Calendula is in the same family and one patch-test study found 2% of dermatitis patients reacted to marigold. Be sure to patch test if you have sensitive or allergy-prone skin.
Learn more about Calendula Officinalis Flower ExtractCetearyl 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.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
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 GlycerinHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil is a plant oil derived from the seeds of a sunflower.
It is rich in fatty acids, primarily linoleic acid and oleic acid. This gives it emollient and skin conditioning properties.
The reason this ingredient is so effective is because it forms a thin film on the skin that reduces transepidermal water loss (TEWL) while supplying linoleic acid to the stratum corneum to improve barrier strength.
The high linoleic acid content is particularly noteworthy for acne-prone skin.
Research suggests that acne-prone skin tends to be deficient in linoleic acid in sebum. Topical application may help replenish this to support a healthier follicular environment and less comedone-promoting sebum.
One randomized study found sunflower seed oil preserved skin barrier integrity in adult volunteers with and without atopic dermatitis (outperforming olive oil).
This ingredient is well-studied, gentle, and an effective emollient suitable for most skin types.
On fungal acne: This ingredient may not be Fungal acne (Malassezia folliculitis) safe. This is because it contains fatty acids with carbon chain lengths in the C11-C24 range.
Learn more about Helianthus Annuus Seed OilTocopherol 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 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
