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 ConditioningBifida Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Betaine
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
PEG/PPG/Polybutylene Glycol-8/5/3 Glycerin
HumectantSodium Hydroxide
BufferingMannose
HumectantMethyldihydrojasmonate
MaskingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Sphingomonas Ferment Extract
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice
Skin ConditioningSodium Methyl Stearoyl Taurate
CleansingAcetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Zinc Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Manganese Gluconate
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ectoin
Skin Conditioning
Salvia Miltiorrhiza Root Extract
Skin ConditioningSalicyloyl Phytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus
Skin ConditioningTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Water, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Panthenol, Dimethicone, Betaine, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Isopropyl Myristate, PEG/PPG/Polybutylene Glycol-8/5/3 Glycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Mannose, Methyldihydrojasmonate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Caprylyl Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Madecassoside, Sphingomonas Ferment Extract, Citric Acid, Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice, Sodium Methyl Stearoyl Taurate, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Sodium Benzoate, Maltodextrin, Zinc Gluconate, Manganese Gluconate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ectoin, Salvia Miltiorrhiza Root Extract, Salicyloyl Phytosphingosine, Lactobacillus, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Bisabolol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Bisabolol is a gentle skin conditioner, antioxidant, and soothing ingredient.
It's primary claim to fame is soothing and research shows topically applied bisabolol can quiet the chemical messengers that cause your skin to become inflamed, helping to sooth any irritation.
A clinical study found that applying 0.5% bisabolol daily for 8 weeks produced an average 9% decrease in skin pigmentation. Researchers found it can also suppress the process that leads to excess melanin production in skin.
In vitro studies found that bisabolol combined with propylene glycol significantly increased skin permeability by increasing lipid fluidity in the stratum corneum.
You'll likely see use concentrations quite low, usually 0.1-0.2%.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated ingredient that works well in formulas designed for sensitive, reactive, or post-procedure skin.
Learn more about BisabololButylene 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 GlycerinSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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
