What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
PEG-40 Stearate
Emulsifying
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Potassium Phosphate
BufferingCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Cholesterol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Dipotassium Phosphate
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, PEG-40 Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Potassium Phosphate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Carbomer, Glyceryl Stearate, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cholesterol, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, Dipotassium Phosphate, Tocopherol, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Cetyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 20, Ethylhexylglycerin
Salicylic Acid 2%
Masking
Water
Skin ConditioningPEG-32
HumectantButylene Glycol
Humectant
Pvm/Ma Decadiene Crosspolymer
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Nordihydroguaiaretic Acid
Antioxidant
Zinc Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Zinc Acetate
AntimicrobialMahonia Aquifolium Root Extract
AstringentLavandula Angustifolia Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Masking
Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract
AstringentSpiraea Ulmaria Extract
AstringentAesculus Hippocastanum Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningCrithmum Maritimum Extract
Skin ConditioningYeast Extract
Skin ConditioningMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Salvia Officinalis Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil
Masking
Geranium Maculatum Oil
Masking
Zingiber Officinale Root Oil
Masking
Cymbopogon Martini Oil
Masking
Cymbopogon Nardus Oil
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Camphor
Masking
10-Hydroxydecanoic Acid
Skin ConditioningSebacic Acid
BufferingCeramide AP
Skin Conditioning
1,10-Decanediol
SolventOleanolic Acid
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Ammonium Glycyrrhizate
MaskingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
PEG-60 Almond Glycerides
Emulsifying
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Salicylic Acid 2%, Water, PEG-32, Butylene Glycol, Pvm/Ma Decadiene Crosspolymer, Niacinamide, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Nordihydroguaiaretic Acid, Zinc Gluconate, Zinc Acetate, Mahonia Aquifolium Root Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Spiraea Ulmaria Extract, Aesculus Hippocastanum Seed Extract, Crithmum Maritimum Extract, Yeast Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Salvia Officinalis Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil, Geranium Maculatum Oil, Zingiber Officinale Root Oil, Cymbopogon Martini Oil, Cymbopogon Nardus Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Biotin, Panthenol, Caffeine, Camphor, 10-Hydroxydecanoic Acid, Sebacic Acid, Ceramide AP, 1,10-Decanediol, Oleanolic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Ammonium Glycyrrhizate, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, PEG-60 Almond Glycerides, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Limonene, Linalool, Citronellol, Geraniol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerCeramide AP is is a skin-identical lipid that mimics what your skin already makes naturally. Ceramides help maintain epidermal integrity and barrier function.
You'll often see this ingredient paired with other ceramides (like ceramide NP), cholesterol, or fatty acids because this combination best mimics the natural lipid mix your skin already has.
The skin's ability to produce ceramides gets disrupted in skin conditions like eczema. This in turn weakens the skin barrier and applying ceramides topically has been shown to replenish what's been lost to restore barrier function.
Most of the studies with Ceramide AP test it as part of a multi-ceramide complex; studies reinforce ceramide AP's role in rebalancing ceramides in skin and improving skin hydration.
Learn more about Ceramide APGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Polysorbate 20 is a gentle, water-soluble emulsifier and mild surfactant. It stops oil and water from separating to keep your formulas blended and stable.
It also acts as a mild penetration enhancer by helping active ingredients absorb slightly better.
The common safety discussion around this ingredient involves a manufacturing byproduct called 1,4-dioxane.
Trace amounts can form during production but the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has concluded that levels at/below 10 ppm in finished products are safe (commercial products consistently fall within acceptable margins).
True allergic reactions are uncommon and the CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.
Because it is derived from lauric acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Polysorbate 20Sodium 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 HyaluronateWater. 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
