What's inside

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Show highlights for:

Water

Skin Conditioning

Cyclopentasiloxane

Emollient
Silicon Icon

Dimethicone

Emollient
1 / 0 Silicon IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Polysilicone-11

Silicon IconGood for Oily Skin Icon

Isododecane

Emollient

Butylene Glycol

Humectant
1 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Ascorbyl Glucoside

Antioxidant
Vitamin C IconAntioxidant IconHelps brighten skin IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

PEG-10 Dimethicone

Skin Conditioning
Silicon Icon

PEG-6

Humectant

Morus Bombycis Root Extract

Skin Conditioning

Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract

Astringent
Helps reduce Skin Redness Icon

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Antimicrobial
Antioxidant IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps brighten skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps reduce Skin Redness Icon

Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract

Emollient
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps reduce Skin Redness Icon

Saccharomyces Lysate Extract

Humectant
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Hordeum Vulgare Extract

Emollient

Salicylic Acid

Masking
BHA IconPreservative IconHelps fight Acne IconHelps brighten skin IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconGood for Skin Texture IconCan worsen Dry Skin IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Triticum Vulgare Germ Extract

Skin Conditioning

Cholesterol

Emollient
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Oryza Sativa Bran Extract

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Squalane

Emollient
1 / 0 Helps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Acetyl Glucosamine

Skin Conditioning
Helps with Anti-Aging IconHelps brighten skin IconGood for Dark Spots Icon

Sodium Hyaluronate

Humectant
0 / 0 Hyaluronic Acid IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Caffeine

Skin Conditioning
Helps with Anti-Aging IconHelps reduce irritation Icon

Isohexadecane

Emollient

Betula Alba Bark Extract

Masking
Fragrance Icon

Trametes Versicolor Extract

Sodium Rna

Skin Conditioning

Glycyrrhetinic Acid

Skin Conditioning
Helps reduce Skin Redness Icon

Dimethoxytolyl Propylresorcinol

Antioxidant
Antioxidant Icon

Di-C12-18 Alkyl Dimonium Chloride

Skin Conditioning

Helianthus Annuus Seedcake

Abrasive
Exfoliant Icon

Yeast Extract

Skin Conditioning

Caprylyl Glycol

Emollient
Fatty Alcohol Icon

Propylene Glycol Dicaprate

Emollient

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer

Emulsion Stabilising

Polysorbate 20

Emulsifying
0 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Tocopheryl Acetate

Antioxidant
0 / 0 Vitamin E IconAntioxidant IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Polysorbate 80

Emulsifying
0 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Tromethamine

Buffering

Sodium Hydroxide

Buffering

Hexylene Glycol

Emulsifying
0-2 / 0-1

Disodium EDTA

Sodium Benzoate

Masking
Preservative Icon

Sodium Metabisulfite

Antioxidant
Preservative IconAntioxidant Icon

Sodium Sulfite

Preservative
Preservative Icon

Phenoxyethanol

Preservative
Preservative Icon

CI 15985

Cosmetic Colorant

CI 19140

Cosmetic Colorant

Reviews

4.00
Overall rating
5
4
3
2
1
What people say
Absorbs Well 100% Great Value 67% Works Well 67%
1.00
Overall rating
5
4
3
2
1
What people say
Doesn't Work 100% Broke Me Out 50% Expensive 50%

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Antioxidant

Ascorbyl Glucoside is a stable form of Vitamin C. It is created by combining glucose from starch.

When applied to skin, Ascorbyl Glucoside turns into Ascorbic Acid.

Ascorbyl Glucoside is an antioxidant. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals, or molecules that may damage skin cells.

It can help to reduce redness, improve skin texture, reduce the effects of aging, reduce the visibility of dark spots, and brighten skin.

Read more about other types of Vitamin C:

Learn more about Ascorbyl Glucoside
Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.

Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.

Learn more about Butylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning

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 Caffeine
Emollient, Humectant, Skin Conditioning

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.

Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.

Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).

Learn more about Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting

Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.

What it does:

Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:

Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.

Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.

This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.

Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.

Learn more about Dimethicone

Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.

This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:

On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.

One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).

Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.

You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.

Learn more about Disodium EDTA
Preservative

Phenoxyethanol 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.

Buffering

Sodium 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 Hydroxide
Skin Conditioning, Solvent

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

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