What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Silica
Abrasive
Hexyldecanol
Emollient
Hexyldecyl Laurate
EmollientHexyldecyl Stearate
EmollientShorea Robusta Seed Butter
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract
Skin Conditioning
Methylpropanediol
SolventArachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Palmitoyl Grape Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningC12-16 Alcohols
EmollientPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingBehenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantAscorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
Antioxidant
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Lauryl Glucoside
CleansingPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Phenylpropanol
Masking
Picea Abies Wood Extract
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Phytate
CI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantBiosaccharide Gum-4
Skin Conditioning
Water, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Glycerin, Silica, Hexyldecanol, Hexyldecyl Laurate, Hexyldecyl Stearate, Shorea Robusta Seed Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract, Methylpropanediol, Arachidyl Alcohol, Palmitoyl Grape Seed Extract, C12-16 Alcohols, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Behenyl Alcohol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, CI 77891, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Arachidyl Glucoside, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Lauryl Glucoside, Palmitic Acid, Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Potassium Sorbate, Tocopherol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Citric Acid, Phenylpropanol, Picea Abies Wood Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Phytate, CI 77491, Biosaccharide Gum-4
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
Antioxidant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Ethylhexyl Stearate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientSodium PCA
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
PEG-75 Stearate
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Carboxymethyl Betaglucan
Ergothioneine
Antioxidant
Ceteth-20
CleansingSteareth-20
CleansingP-Anisic Acid
Masking
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSqualane
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Niacinamide, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Sodium PCA, Cetearyl Alcohol, PEG-75 Stearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Tocopherol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Carboxymethyl Betaglucan, Ergothioneine, Ceteth-20, Steareth-20, P-Anisic Acid, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Squalane, Xanthan Gum, Sorbitan Isostearate, Polysorbate 60
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate is a version of ascorbic acid, or Vitamin C.
This ingredient has many benefits including reducing wrinkles, skin soothing, dark spot fading, and fighting against free radicals.
It helps with dark spot fading by interfering with the process of skin darkening, helping to reduce hyperpigmentation. Like other forms of vitamin C, this ingredient encourages the skin to create more collagen.
As an antioxidant, it helps fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells.
One study found Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate to degrade in sunlight, but is stabilized when combined with acetyl zingerone.
Learn more about Ascorbyl TetraisopalmitateCaprylyl 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 GlycolGlycerin (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 Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateTocopherol 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
