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
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 ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Heptyl Undecylenate
EmollientBakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Pullulan
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Jasminum Sambac Flower Extract
Masking
Crataegus Monogyna Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sodium Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate
Citric Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, Heptyl Undecylenate, Bakuchiol, Pullulan, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Jasminum Sambac Flower Extract, Crataegus Monogyna Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Caffeine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Stearic Acid, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caffeine is a naturally occurring plant compound found in coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa pods, and guarana.
As an antioxidant, caffeine protects your skin from free radical damage caused by UV exposure and envionrmnetal stressors.
Early research also shows that caffeine can help calm redness, soothe irritated skin, and support hair growth by stimulating microcirculation in the scalp.
You might have seen eye creams marketing caffeine as a depuffing ingredient. This is because it is a vasoconstrictor meaning it can temporarily constrict blood vessels, though clinical evidence for this specific use is still limited.
Most skincare products contain this ingredient at concentrations between 1-6%. It is able to penetrate skin easily regardless of skin type or thickness.
Just so you know, a very small number of case reports describe caffeine-induced allergy. This ingredient is generally well-tolerated, non-irritating, and non-sensitizing for the majority of people.
Learn more about CaffeineCitric 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 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 StearatePhenoxyethanol 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.
Water. 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
