What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Kaolin
Abrasive
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantTriethanolamine
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Disodium EDTA
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
PEG-8
HumectantIron Oxides
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Nicotiana Sylvestris Leaf Cell Culture
Skin ConditioningAscorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Plumeria Rubra Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningHexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Linalool
Perfuming
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Cinnamyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Water, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Kaolin, Glyceryl Stearate, CI 77891, Triethanolamine, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum, Chlorphenesin, Disodium EDTA, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, PEG-8, Iron Oxides, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Nicotiana Sylvestris Leaf Cell Culture, Ascorbic Acid, Citric Acid, Plumeria Rubra Flower Extract, Hexyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Benzoate, Linalool, Hydroxycitronellal, Cinnamyl Alcohol
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientEthyl Macadamiate
Skin Conditioning
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Glyceryl Behenate/Eicosadioate
Emollient
Borago Officinalis Seed Oil
Emollient
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Prunus Armeniaca Fruit
AstringentGlycine Soja Sterols
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine
HumectantCetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingHectorite
AbsorbentCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Sorbitan Stearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Ethyl Macadamiate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Glyceryl Behenate/Eicosadioate, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Fruit, Glycine Soja Sterols, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Linoleic Acid, Phospholipids, Sodium Hyaluronate, Retinyl Palmitate, Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine, Cetearyl Glucoside, Sclerotium Gum, Hectorite, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, 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.
Ascorbyl Palmitate is a fat-soluble form of vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) made by combining it with palmitic acid.
It is able to blend easily into creams and oil-based formulas because it dissolves in oils rather than water.
As you may know, regular vitamin C is notorious for breaking down when exposed to sunlight and air. Ascorbyl Palmitate is more stable and degrades at a slower rate.
Research on whether it converts efficiently into active vitamin C once it's applied on your skin is still limited.
Some in-vitro studies suggest it may support collagen production, but it is not considered one of the stronger vitamin C derivatives, like:
Due to the palmitic acid base, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. Comedogenic studies have also shown this ingredient to have a rating of 2.
It's also worth keeping in mind that comedogenic and irritancy ratings are tested on individual ingredients, not finished formulas. The final product's formulation, concentration, and other ingredients all play a role in how something actually behaves on your skin.
Learn more about Ascorbyl PalmitateEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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.
Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
