What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Diisostearyl Malate
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Cucurbita Pepo Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Cucurbita Pepo Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningCucurbita Maxima Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Lupine Protein
Skin ConditioningSoluble Collagen
Humectant
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxydecyl Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Calendula Officinalis Flower Oil
Masking
Camellia Japonica Seed Oil
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Coptis Japonica Extract
AntimicrobialOcimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCorallina Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCurcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate
Emulsion Stabilising
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPolyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingVinyldimethicone
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-10 Oleate
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Tromethamine
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Squalane, Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Diisostearyl Malate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Bakuchiol, Retinol, Cucurbita Pepo Fruit Extract, Cucurbita Pepo Seed Extract, Cucurbita Maxima Fruit Extract, Ceramide NP, Hydrolyzed Lupine Protein, Soluble Collagen, Phytosphingosine, Hydroxydecyl Ubiquinone, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Calendula Officinalis Flower Oil, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Panthenol, Tocopherol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butylene Glycol, Coptis Japonica Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polyglutamic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Carbomer, Vinyldimethicone, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Tromethamine
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingMyristyl Myristate
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Capryloyl Glycine
CleansingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Glycerin, Squalane, Dimethicone, Zea Mays Starch, Niacinamide, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Myristyl Myristate, Stearic Acid, Ceramide NP, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Sodium Hydroxide, Myristic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Capryloyl Glycine, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ceramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
Learn more about Ceramide NPGlycerin (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 GlycerinPalmitic Acid is a fatty acid naturally found in our skin and in many plant and animal sources. In cosmetics, it is usually derived from palm oil. It serves many purposes in skincare, acting as a cleanser, emollient, and emulsifier.
Interestingly, topically applied Palmitic Acid can be elongated into longer chain fatty acids and ceramides. A 2019 study found low levels of Palmitic Acid lead to slower development of cells, suggesting it plays a role in keeping your skin's renewal process on track.
The CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) panel determined it safe as used in cosmetics at concentrations up to 13%. It is non-irritating and non-sensitizing in clinical studies.
The culprit behind fungal acne, the Malassezia yeast, feeds on fatty acids with carbon chain lengths between C11-C24. Palmitic Acid, at C16, falls right into that sweet spot.
In vitro studies have shown that Palmitic Acid is one of the fatty acids that induce rapid Malassezia growth in lab settings.
It's worth noting that what feeds yeast in a lab doesn't necessarily feed it on your face since formulation and your skin's chemistry play a bigger role.
Learn more about Palmitic AcidSqualane 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 SqualaneStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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
