What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Retinyl Linoleate
Skin Conditioning
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract
Antioxidant
Polyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventHydroxypinacolone Retinoate
Skin Conditioning
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningStearyl Phosphate
Emulsifying
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Coffea Arabica Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Acetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Propanediol, Glycerin, Squalane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Retinyl Linoleate, Bakuchiol, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract, Polyglutamic Acid, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Retinol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Phenethyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Beta-Glucan, Ethylhexylglycerin, Stearyl Phosphate, Stearyl Alcohol, Coffea Arabica Fruit Extract, Acetyl Glucosamine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Xanthan Gum, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Tocopherol
Reviews
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 TriglycerideDimethyl Isosorbide (often shortened to DMI) is a sugar-derived solvent made from sorbitol. It's used to dissolve tricky ingredients and help them mix smoothly into a formula.
Many actives sit as gritty crystals when undissolved, so DMI swoops in to full dissolve them. This helps improve texture, stability, and how evenly an active is distributed.
It does have a penetration-enhancing reputation that is a bit more nuanced than marketing suggests; a cell study on human skin found that 10% DMI didn't significantly boost the permeation of Hydroquinone, Salicylic Acid, or Octadecenedioic Acid compared to controls (though it did improve their solubility in the formula itself).
Typical usage concentrations usually range from 1-10% depending on the formula's needs; this ingredient is also well tolerated at these levels.
Learn more about Dimethyl IsosorbideHydroxypinacolone Retinoate (aka Granactive Retinoid or HPR) is a retinoid that is part of the same vitamin A family as retinol.
It is an ester of retinoic acid that binds directly to your skin's retinoic acid receptors so it doesn't need your skin to convert it through several steps before it can do anything.
In practice, this means it does the classic retinoid jobs in a formula:
The best part is that it can do all this with noticeably less redness, flaking, and stinging than traditional retinoids.
That gentle reputation is backed by lab work as well; a 2018 study on skin models found that HPR triggered higher retinoid-gene activity than retinol, retinal, or retinyl propionate at the same concentrations while being less irritating to cells.
It also boosted procollagen production to levels similar to retinoic acid itself.
A 2023 study showed HPR works synergistically with retinyl propionate to switch on collagen-building pathways and a 2025 clinical serum study in women with mild photoaging saw improvements in wrinkles and elasticity (though that formula also contained retinol, peptides, and Silybin).
One naming quirk worth mentioning:
You'll likely see this ingredient sold under the trade name "Granactive Retinoid", which is actually only 10% HPR blended with 90% Dimethyl Isosorbide solvent. This means a 5% Granactive Retinoid really only means about 0.5% HPR.
Finished products typically land somewhere between 0.05-1% and it's happiest formulated at a mildly acidic to neutral pH (~5.5-6.5).
Another perk is that this is one of the more light- and temperature-stable retinoids which is a nice bonus for shelf life.
Learn more about Hydroxypinacolone RetinoateSqualane 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 SqualaneTocopherol 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 Tocopherol
