What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Isoamyl Laurate
Emollient
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Palmitoyl Grapevine Shoot Extract
Antioxidant
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingChenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Caesalpinia Spinosa Fruit Extract
Skin ProtectingAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Phytate
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Kappaphycus Alvarezii Extract
Skin ConditioningHyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Khaya Senegalensis Bark Extract
Skin ProtectingMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Paeonia Lactiflora Root Extract
Skin ConditioningNicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide-47
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Isoamyl Laurate, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Polyacrylate, Palmitoyl Grapevine Shoot Extract, Sclerotium Gum, Xanthan Gum, Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Benzyl Alcohol, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Caesalpinia Spinosa Fruit Extract, Adenosine, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Sodium Phytate, Sodium Benzoate, Kappaphycus Alvarezii Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Khaya Senegalensis Bark Extract, Maltodextrin, Paeonia Lactiflora Root Extract, Nicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide-47
Water
Skin ConditioningDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Sucrose Distearate
Emollient
Sucrose Stearate
EmollientAlbizia Julibrissin Bark Extract
MaskingTaraxacum Officinale Extract
Skin ConditioningChenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5
Humectant
Perfluorodecalin
Skin ConditioningDarutoside
Skin ConditioningSilica
Abrasive
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
BufferingPolyperfluoromethylisopropyl Ether
Skin ConditioningPoloxamer 188
EmulsifyingMethylpropanediol
SolventEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glycerin, Sucrose Distearate, Sucrose Stearate, Albizia Julibrissin Bark Extract, Taraxacum Officinale Extract, Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract, Glycine Soja Oil, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, Perfluorodecalin, Darutoside, Silica, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Butylene Glycol, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Polyperfluoromethylisopropyl Ether, Poloxamer 188, Methylpropanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate
Reviews
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 GlycolThis ingredient is derived from the seeds of the quinoa plant. In skincare, it pulls double duty as a skin conditioning and antioxidant agent.
The key bioactives in this ingredient are hytoecdysteroids (especially 20-hydroxyecdysone), polyphenols, proteins, and essential amino acids like lysine and methionine.
20-Hydroxyecdysone has been shown to helps skin cells mature properly, makes skin thicker and firmer, and slows down the enzymes that break down collagen.
On the anti-aging front, quinoa's active compounds have been shown in lab studies to block the enzymes that break down collagen at pretty low concentrations. They also help reduce free radical damage so you're getting antioxidant protection too.
Quinoa extract helps the skin onto moisture better by boosting the production of two key proteins that keep the skin barrier intact.
And the cool part is that this ingredient is effective at concentrations anywhere from 0.001-5% in a finished product.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated and low-irritation ingredient with research backing its claims.
Learn more about Chenopodium Quinoa Seed ExtractEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinSodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Sodium BenzoateTocopherol 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
