What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Aspergillus Ferment
Skin ConditioningRicinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Ethylhexyl Olivate
Skin Conditioning
Saccharomyces Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Olivate
C10-18 Triglycerides
Emollient
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Water
Skin ConditioningGlycogen
HumectantLactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Musa Sapientum Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCaesalpinia Spinosa Gum
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDimethicone
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingLimonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Water, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Aspergillus Ferment, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Ethylhexyl Olivate, Saccharomyces Ferment, Parfum, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Olivate, C10-18 Triglycerides, Sorbitan Olivate, Caprylyl Glycol, Squalane, Niacinamide, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Water, Glycogen, Lactobacillus Ferment, Musa Sapientum Flower Extract, Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, Hexylene Glycol, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Sodium Hydroxide, Limonene, Linalool, Benzyl Benzoate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Olivate
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Polyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
PCA
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate
Skin Conditioning
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Triethyl Citrate
Masking
Serine
Masking
Alanine
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Lysine Hcl
Skin Conditioning
Threonine
Arginine
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Undecane
EmollientHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTridecane
Perfuming
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingSodium Phytate
Citric Acid
Buffering
Betaine
Humectant
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Lactate
Buffering
Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, Isopropyl Myristate, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Ethylhexyl Olivate, Squalane, Sodium PCA, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polyglutamic Acid, Glyceryl Oleate, Ceramide NP, Palmitic Acid, PCA, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Saccharide Isomerate, Triethyl Citrate, Serine, Alanine, Glycine, Glutamic Acid, Lysine Hcl, Threonine, Arginine, Tocopherol, Ceramide As, Ceramide Ns, Proline, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide AP, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Undecane, Hydroxyacetophenone, Xanthan Gum, Tridecane, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Sodium Phytate, Citric Acid, Betaine, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Lactate
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ethylhexyl Olivate isn't fungal acne safe.
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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolSqualane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).
It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.
This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.
Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.
Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.
No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).
Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.
This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.
Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.
Read more about squalene with an "e".
Though squalane is often called an oil, it’s technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.
The term “oil-free” isn’t regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.
Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.
A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.
The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.
Learn more about SqualaneWater. 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
