What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHomosalate
Skin Conditioning
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialButyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Coconut Alkanes
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Silica
Abrasive
Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingPEG-75 Stearate
Surfactant
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Marrubium Vulgare Extract
Skin ConditioningCeteth-20
CleansingSteareth-20
CleansingCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Rosa Damascena Extract
MaskingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingBeta-Carotene
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Xanthophylls
Skin ConditioningMichelia Alba Leaf Oil
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialSolanum Tuberosum Pulp Extract
SmoothingAcetyl Tetrapeptide-11
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-9
Skin Conditioning
Linalool
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Water, Homosalate, Octocrylene, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Butylene Glycol, Coconut Alkanes, Glycerin, Silica, Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Caprylyl Methicone, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, PEG-75 Stearate, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Polysorbate 20, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Marrubium Vulgare Extract, Ceteth-20, Steareth-20, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Rosa Damascena Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Beta-Carotene, Tocopherol, Xanthophylls, Michelia Alba Leaf Oil, Citric Acid, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Solanum Tuberosum Pulp Extract, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-11, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-9, Linalool, Citronellol, Geraniol
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Isodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Pentaerythrityl Tetracaprylate/Tetracaprate
EmollientArachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polymethyl Acrylate
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sucrose Palmitate
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Linoleate
Emollient
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oleosomes
EmollientSesamum Indicum Seed
Abrasive
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Sorbitan Laurate
Emulsifying
Levulinic Acid
Perfuming
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Salicornia Herbacea Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingMagnesium Sulfate
Glutamine
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Lysine Hcl
Skin Conditioning
Arginine Hcl
Skin ConditioningAlanine
Masking
Histidine Hcl
Skin ConditioningValine
MaskingLeucine
Skin ConditioningIsoleucine
Skin ConditioningTryptophan
MaskingPhenylalanine
Masking
Tyrosine
MaskingPolysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Serine
Masking
Cystine
MaskingCyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningGlutathione
Asparagine
MaskingNicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide
Skin ConditioningProline
Skin Conditioning
Methionine
Skin ConditioningTaurine
BufferingHydroxyproline
Skin ConditioningGlucosamine Hcl
Retinyl Acetate
Skin Conditioning
Inositol
Humectant
Niacin
SmoothingNiacinamide
Smoothing
Pyridoxine Hcl
Skin ConditioningBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicRiboflavin
Cosmetic ColorantEthylhexyl Palmitate, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Glycerin, Pentaerythrityl Tetracaprylate/Tetracaprate, Arachidyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Polymethyl Acrylate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sucrose Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Chlorphenesin, Sorbitan Oleate, Glyceryl Linoleate, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oleosomes, Sesamum Indicum Seed, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Sorbitan Laurate, Levulinic Acid, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Salicornia Herbacea Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Magnesium Sulfate, Glutamine, Tocopherol, Lysine Hcl, Arginine Hcl, Alanine, Histidine Hcl, Valine, Leucine, Isoleucine, Tryptophan, Phenylalanine, Tyrosine, Polysorbate 80, Serine, Cystine, Cyanocobalamin, Glutathione, Asparagine, Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide, Proline, Methionine, Taurine, Hydroxyproline, Glucosamine Hcl, Retinyl Acetate, Inositol, Niacin, Niacinamide, Pyridoxine Hcl, Biotin, Riboflavin
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 StearateSodium 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 HydroxideTocopherol 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 Tocopherol
