What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus Ferment
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventSodium Stearoyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin ConditioningDicaprylyl Ether
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantUndecane
EmollientOenothera Biennis Oil
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
EmollientLactobacillus
Skin ConditioningTridecane
PerfumingBakuchiol
AntimicrobialAstrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter
EmollientBidens Pilosa Extract
HumectantGossypium Herbaceum Seed Oil
Skin ConditioningLinum Usitatissimum Seed Oil
PerfumingBisabolol
AntioxidantFucus Spiralis Extract
EmollientTetraselmis Chui Extract
EmollientCentella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningWithania Somnifera Root Extract
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingHydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningOcimum Americanum Leaf Oil
MaskingOctyldodecanol
EmollientPogostemon Cablin Leaf Extract
PerfumingCocos Nucifera Fruit Extract
EmollientSodium Phytate
Citric Acid
BufferingSodium Benzoate
MaskingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeTocopherol
AntioxidantEugenol
PerfumingWater, Lactobacillus Ferment, Propanediol, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Dicaprylyl Ether, Glycerin, Undecane, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Lactobacillus, Tridecane, Bakuchiol, Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter, Bidens Pilosa Extract, Gossypium Herbaceum Seed Oil, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Bisabolol, Fucus Spiralis Extract, Tetraselmis Chui Extract, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Withania Somnifera Root Extract, Xanthan Gum, Sclerotium Gum, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Ocimum Americanum Leaf Oil, Octyldodecanol, Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Extract, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract, Sodium Phytate, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Tocopherol, Eugenol
Water
Skin ConditioningC15-19 Alkane
SolventGlycerin
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingPEG/PPG/Polybutylene Glycol-8/5/3 Glycerin
HumectantIsosorbide Dicaprylate
Skin ConditioningEctoin
Skin ConditioningXylitylglucoside
HumectantBisabolol
AntioxidantAllantoin
Skin ConditioningAnhydroxylitol
HumectantXylitol
HumectantHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Glucose
HumectantCitric Acid
BufferingTocopherol
AntioxidantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeWater, C15-19 Alkane, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, PEG/PPG/Polybutylene Glycol-8/5/3 Glycerin, Isosorbide Dicaprylate, Ectoin, Xylitylglucoside, Bisabolol, Allantoin, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Glucose, Citric Acid, Tocopherol, 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.
Bisabolol is a gentle skin conditioner, antioxidant, and soothing ingredient.
It's primary claim to fame is soothing and research shows topically applied bisabolol can quiet the chemical messengers that cause your skin to become inflamed, helping to sooth any irritation.
A clinical study found that applying 0.5% bisabolol daily for 8 weeks produced an average 9% decrease in skin pigmentation. Researchers found it can also suppress the process that leads to excess melanin production in skin.
In vitro studies found that bisabolol combined with propylene glycol significantly increased skin permeability by increasing lipid fluidity in the stratum corneum.
You'll likely see use concentrations quite low, usually 0.1-0.2%.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated ingredient that works well in formulas designed for sensitive, reactive, or post-procedure skin.
Learn more about BisabololCitric 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 GlycerinTocopherol 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