What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Salix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Acrylates Copolymer
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Lecithin
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Citrate
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGeraniol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Water, Niacinamide, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Centella Asiatica Extract, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol, Lecithin, Parfum, Sodium Citrate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Geraniol, Limonene
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
Sea Silt Extract
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Bellis Perennis Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningBetaine
Humectant
Biosaccharide Gum-4
Skin Conditioning
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hylocereus Undatus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningLecithin
Emollient
Leucojum Aestivum Bulb Extract
Skin ProtectingMannan
Olivine Extract
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Citrate
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract
Antioxidant
Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract
AstringentZingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Propanediol, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Sea Silt Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Adenosine, Bellis Perennis Flower Extract, Betaine, Biosaccharide Gum-4, Bisabolol, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycerin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hylocereus Undatus Fruit Extract, Lecithin, Leucojum Aestivum Bulb Extract, Mannan, Olivine Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Citrate, Tocopherol, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract, Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Benzoic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Metabisulfite
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ethylhexylglycerin 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 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 OilLecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
Depending on the source of this ingredient, lecithin may not be fungal acne safe. This is because some sources of lecithin come from soybean oil, which may feed the malassezia yeast that causes fungal acne.
We recommend reaching out to the brand you are purchasing from to inquire about the source of their lecithin.
Learn more about LecithinPentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPhenoxyethanol 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.
This ingredient is a synthetic, salt form polymer built from acrylic acid, ethacrylic acid, or their simple esters. It works as a binder, film former, and viscosity increasing agent.
Typical concentrations start at around 0.5% but can go up to 25% for film-forming or binding.
The CIR Expert Panel assessed the safety of 126 acrylates copolymers and concluded they are safe in cosmetics at current use levels when formulated to be non-irritating. They also noted the levels present in finished cosmetic products are not considered a safety risk and Genotoxicity testing (Ames tests, chromosomal aberration assays) has come back negative across the board.
Though the raw building blocks (like acrylic acid) can be irritating on their own, cosmetic-grade versions go through purification to keep levels extremely low.
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer is a large molecule that doesn't penetrate skin barrier in any meaningful way.
Learn more about Sodium Acrylates CopolymerSodium Citrate is the sodium salts of citric acid. In skincare, it is used to alter pH levels and acts as a preservative.
Its main functions are to maintain the pH of a product and neutralize metal ions.
The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome; normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5).
Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.
Learn more about Sodium CitrateTocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
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 Water
