What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
Olus Oil
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin Conditioning
Polyglycerin-3
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Acacia Senegal Gum
MaskingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningEuterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Water, Niacinamide, Olus Oil, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tocopherol, Propylene Glycol, Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Jojoba Esters, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Polyglycerin-3, Cetearyl Alcohol, Acacia Senegal Gum, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Glycerin, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Glyceryl Stearate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sorbic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Cetearyl Isononanoate
Emollient
Distarch Phosphate
AbsorbentMethylpropanediol
SolventIsobutylamido Thiazolyl Resorcinol
Bleaching
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Glucosylrutin
Antioxidant
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Dimethicone
Emollient
Isoquercitrin
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Chloride
MaskingTrisodium EDTA
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Alcohol Denat., Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Octocrylene, Isopropyl Palmitate, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Distarch Phosphate, Methylpropanediol, Isobutylamido Thiazolyl Resorcinol, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract, Tocopherol, Glucosylrutin, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Dimethicone, Isoquercitrin, Citric Acid, Sodium Chloride, Trisodium EDTA, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCitric 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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearatePhenoxyethanol 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.
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (SAP) is a water-soluble form of Vitamin C. It is the salt of ascorbic acid.
This ingredient is commonly used in skincare because it's more formulation-stable while still offering the same benefits as pure ascorbic acid. Ascorbic acid is notorious for breaking down when exposed to sunlight and oxygen whereas SAP has been shown to be more stable.
Studies show SAP has anti-acne and antioxidant benefits. One study found 5% of SAP lotion to be an effective ingredient for treating acne vulgaris. This is because research shows that SAP may help control acne by reducing acne-causing bacteria and slowing the oxidation of skin oils caused by UV exposure.
In addition to acne, vitamin C is important for skin structure. Lab studies suggest SAP may support collagen production in skin cells, making it a great ingredient in anti-aging routines.
Vitamin C has many benefits: it helps reduce redness, improve skin texture, fade the appearance of dark spots, and brighten the skin.
Read more about other types of Vitamin C:
Learn more about Sodium Ascorbyl PhosphateSodium Stearoyl Glutamate is an amino-acid based emulsifier. It is made by combining stearic acid with L-glutamic acid and neutralizing it to a sodium salt.
As an emulsifier, it works mainly as an oil-in-water one and helps keep the oil and water in your formulas blended. It also contributes to a smooth, non-greasy skin feel.
This ingredient is biodegradable and commonly available in natural/COSMOS-certified grades.
Learn more about Sodium Stearoyl GlutamateTocopherol 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 Water
