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
Squalane
Emollient
Palmitoyl Grapevine Shoot Extract
Antioxidant
Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate
Emulsifying
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Microcrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Phytate
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingParfum
Masking
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Squalane, Palmitoyl Grapevine Shoot Extract, Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, Bisabolol, Glyceryl Stearate, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Potassium Sorbate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Citric Acid, Sodium Phytate, Sodium Hydroxide, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Alpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBrassica Campestris Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Althaea Officinalis Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Sucrose Distearate
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Alpha-Arbutin, Tranexamic Acid, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide As, Cholesterol, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide EOP, Xanthan Gum, Brassica Campestris Seed Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Althaea Officinalis Root Extract, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Dipropylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Sucrose Distearate, 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.
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate is a lightweight ester created from coconut oil fatty acids, caprylic acid, and capric acid.
It is an emollient that helps soften skin and reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL). What sets it apart from heavier emollients is its ultralight, non-greasy feel.
Once applied, this ingredient dries down quickly and leaves a dry, silky finish behind. This also helps improve spreadability and texture.
This ingredient has an excellent safety-record and is non-irritating.
Typical concentrations for cosmetics range from 0.5-62%.
Research on Malassezia growth found no growth on fatty acid esters with chain lengths shorter than 12 carbons (it prefers C11-24).
Since Coco-Caprylate/Caprate is built on C8 and C10 fatty acids, it is out of the range that Malassezia metabolizes, and therefore safe for fungal acne.
Learn more about Coco-Caprylate/CaprateGlycerin (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 StearateWater. 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
