What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycereth-26
Humectant
Triheptanoin
Skin ConditioningMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Methyl Gluceth-20
Humectant
Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Oil
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Lecithin
Emollient
Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum
Skin ConditioningDimethyl Isosorbide
SolventPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Silica
Abrasive
Octyldodecyl Oleate
Emollient
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Glycerin
Humectant
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingOctyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate
Emollient
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract
Skin ConditioningEscin
TonicSodium Hydroxide
BufferingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Rosa Canina Fruit Extract
Astringent
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Potassium Phosphate
BufferingBiosaccharide Gum-4
Skin Conditioning
Plumeria Alba Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningPlumeria Rubra Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningLithothamnion Calcareum Extract
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Wine
Skin ConditioningAmethyst Powder
Abrasive
Moonstone Powder
Skin ConditioningQuartz
Abrasive
Ruby Powder
Skin ConditioningSolanum Tuberosum Pulp Extract
SmoothingAcetyl Tetrapeptide-11
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-9
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Succinic Acid
BufferingDehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Limonene
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Glycereth-26, Triheptanoin, Maltodextrin, Methyl Gluceth-20, Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Alcohol, Lecithin, Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Polysorbate 20, Glyceryl Stearate, Silica, Octyldodecyl Oleate, Benzyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Caffeine, PEG-100 Stearate, Carbomer, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Sodium Gluconate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract, Escin, Sodium Hydroxide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Octyldodecanol, Potassium Phosphate, Biosaccharide Gum-4, Plumeria Alba Flower Extract, Plumeria Rubra Flower Extract, Lithothamnion Calcareum Extract, Parfum, Wine, Amethyst Powder, Moonstone Powder, Quartz, Ruby Powder, Solanum Tuberosum Pulp Extract, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-11, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-9, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Succinic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Limonene, Geraniol, Citronellol, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningPanax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Olivate
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Tromethamine
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Theobroma Cacao Extract
Skin ConditioningDextrin
AbsorbentCholesterol
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate
Skin Conditioning
Retinal
Skin Conditioning
Brassica Campestris Sterols
EmollientPhytosteryl/Behenyl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Skin ConditioningSilica
Abrasive
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Aluminum/Magnesium Hydroxide Stearate
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, 1,2-Hexanediol, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Niacinamide, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetearyl Olivate, Butylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Tromethamine, Carbomer, Glyceryl Stearate, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Adenosine, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Dextrin, Cholesterol, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Retinal, Brassica Campestris Sterols, Phytosteryl/Behenyl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Silica, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Aluminum/Magnesium Hydroxide Stearate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Ceramide NP, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin
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 CarbomerGlycerin (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 StearateSilica, also known as silicon dioxide, is a naturally occurring mineral. It is used as a fine, spherical, and porous powder in cosmetics.
Though it has exfoliant properties, the function of silica varies depending on the product.
The unique structure of silica enhances the spreadability and adds smoothness, making it a great texture enhancer.
It is also used as an active carrier, emulsifier, and mattifier due to its ability to absorb excess oil.
In some products, tiny microneedles called spicules are made from silica or hydrolyzed sponge. When you rub them in, they lightly polish away dead skin layers and enhance the penetration of active ingredients.
Learn more about SilicaSodium 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 Water
