What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Squalane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingSorbitan Laurate
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Silica
Abrasive
Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate
Emulsifying
Dilauryl Citrate
EmollientN-Prolyl Palmitoyl Tripeptide-56 Acetate
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Bakuchiol, Water, Propanediol, Squalane, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Sorbitan Laurate, Xanthan Gum, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Silica, Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate, Dilauryl Citrate, N-Prolyl Palmitoyl Tripeptide-56 Acetate, Citric Acid, Phenethyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Potassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningHydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Rosa Damascena Flower Water
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTromethamine
BufferingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Disodium EDTA
Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Inulin Lauryl Carbamate
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxydecyl Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Cholesterol
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
BHT
Antioxidant
Vigna Radiata Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningAvena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Bakuchiol, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Potassium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Xanthan Gum, Tromethamine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Carbomer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Adenosine, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Disodium EDTA, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Retinol, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Hydroxydecyl Ubiquinone, Cholesterol, Tocopheryl Acetate, BHT, Vigna Radiata Seed Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Bakuchiol is a plant-derived antioxidant from the seeds of the Psoralea corylifolia plant. It has antimicrobial, emollient, skin conditioning, and antioxidant properties.
You'll likely see it called a "retinol replacement" but the two are technically not related. This is because bakuchiol is able to flip many of the same switches in your skin cells to tell them to:
1) produce more collagen (type I, III, and IV)
2) activate the same genes retinoids do
Unlike retinoids, this ingredient will not increase photosensitivity and is safe to use during pregnancy (but please still check in with your doctor!).
The flagship clinical trial from Dhaliwal et al. 2019 found 0.5% bakuchiol (twice daily) and 0.5% retinol (once daily) reduced wrinkles and hyperpigmentation equally, but bakuchiol had significantly less irritation.
Systematic reviews also back this up:
Bakuchiol is comparable to retinol for photoaging but with better tolerability. It also has mild antibacterial properties against Cutibacterium acnes and antifungal activity in vitro against Candida and dermatophytes.
The reason bakuchiol works well is due to its structure; it is a meroterpene phenol, or a hybrid molecule. The phenol half acts as an antioxidant while the terpene half is fat-loving. This helps the molecule slip through the skin barrier.
This ingredient is usually used between 0.5-2%. Only one case of contact dermatitis has ever been reported for this ingredient.
Learn more about BakuchiolGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid (HA) that is broken down into lower molecular weight fragments.
It's a humectant that pulls and holds water in the skin to help with hydration, plumpness, and reduce transepidermal water loss.
Because hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid is smaller in size, it can slip past your outermost layer of skin more easily than full-sized HA.
Most formulations will combine all sizes to get the best of both worlds.
Typical usage levels range from 0.01-1%. Any percentage higher than 2% might become goopy and tacky.
Learn more about Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic AcidWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
