What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
SmoothingC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialIsododecane
EmollientDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientN-Prolyl Palmitoyl Tripeptide-56 Acetate
Skin ConditioningCitrus Reticulata Peel Extract
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantFructose
HumectantUrea
BufferingMaltose
MaskingSodium PCA
HumectantSodium Lactate
BufferingTrehalose
HumectantAllantoin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantGlucose
HumectantBetaine
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Tetrasodium EDTA
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Niacinamide, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Isododecane, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, N-Prolyl Palmitoyl Tripeptide-56 Acetate, Citrus Reticulata Peel Extract, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Fructose, Urea, Maltose, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Trehalose, Allantoin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glucose, Betaine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Carbomer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPullulan
Maltodextrin
AbsorbentCaesalpinia Spinosa Gum
Skin ConditioningSodium PCA
HumectantAlpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
CleansingParfum
MaskingMagnesium PCA
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingZinc PCA
HumectantLimonene
PerfumingManganese PCA
HumectantVanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningHydroxycitronellal
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglyceridePentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolSodium PCA (the salt of PCA) is one of the most well-established humectants in skincare.
Why is it so special? Your skin already makes it naturally; it's a natural component of your skin's Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF), or the mix of water-binding compounds inside your skin cells that keeps things soft and hydrated.
As a cosmetic ingredient, it grabs water and holds it in the upper layers of skin to smooth roughness and ease dehydration.
There's some clinical support for the NMF approach with a study showing that a cream built to mimic the skin's NMF significantly boosted hydration.
Safety-wise, this ingredient non-irritating, non-comedogenic, and non-phototoxic in testing, with minimal skin absorption.
It also works really well with other hydrators like glycerin or hyaluronic acid, and typical usage is somewhere between 0.2-4%.
Learn more about Sodium PCAWater. 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