What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningMica
Cosmetic ColorantCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Stearate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Bis-Behenyl/Isostearyl/Phytosteryl Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate
EmollientZea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Olive Oil Stearyl Esters
Emulsion Stabilising
Palmitoyl Grapevine Shoot Extract
Antioxidant
Palmitoyl Grape Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Hydrogenated Avocado Oil
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantTerminalia Arjuna Extract
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
CI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Magnolia Officinalis Bark Extract
Antimicrobial
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Lecithin
Emollient
Sodium Phytate
Gleditsia Triacanthos Seed Extract
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Aniba Rosodora Wood Extract
MaskingWater, Mica, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Bis-Behenyl/Isostearyl/Phytosteryl Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Zea Mays Starch, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Persea Gratissima Oil, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Stearyl Esters, Palmitoyl Grapevine Shoot Extract, Palmitoyl Grape Seed Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Oleic Acid, Hydrogenated Avocado Oil, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Carbomer, CI 77891, Terminalia Arjuna Extract, Xanthan Gum, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Sodium Dehydroacetate, CI 77491, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Magnolia Officinalis Bark Extract, Tocopherol, Adenosine, Lecithin, Sodium Phytate, Gleditsia Triacanthos Seed Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Aniba Rosodora Wood Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningIsocetyl Stearate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Isohexadecane
EmollientSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingRetinol
Skin Conditioning
Retinyl Linoleate
Skin Conditioning
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Polysilicone-8
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Isocetyl Stearate, Glycerin, Octyldodecanol, Propylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Caffeine, Isohexadecane, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Retinol, Retinyl Linoleate, Adenosine, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Polysilicone-8, Polysorbate 80, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Adenosine is in every living organism. It is one of four components in nucleic acids that helps store our DNA.
Adenosine has many benefits when used. These benefits include hydrating the skin, smoothing skin, and reducing wrinkles. Once applied, adenosine increases collagen production. It also helps with improving firmness and tissue repair.
Studies have found adenosine may also help with wound healing.
In skincare products, Adenosine is usually derived from yeast.
Learn more about AdenosineCaprylyl 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 or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCetearyl 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.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholGlycerin (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 GlycerinPentylene 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 GlycolWater. 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
