What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Lecithin
Emollient
Acetyl Glutamine
Skin ConditioningBacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Sh-Decapeptide-9
Skin Conditioning
Oligopeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Arginine
Masking
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Oligopeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
Oligopeptide-3
Skin Conditioning
Hexapeptide-11
Skin Conditioning
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningFolic Acid
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Water, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lecithin, Acetyl Glutamine, Bacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Sh-Decapeptide-9, Oligopeptide-1, Sodium Polyacrylate, Arginine, Glyceryl Stearate, Behenyl Alcohol, Oligopeptide-2, Oligopeptide-3, Hexapeptide-11, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Folic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus/Arundinaria Gigantea Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Dextrin
AbsorbentPolyglyceryl-3 Cocoate
Emulsifying
Oleyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Inulin
Skin Conditioning
Saccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Skin ConditioningPolyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Hylocereus Undatus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAlpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Bifida Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Lactococcus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Lactococcus Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Propanediol
Solvent
Trehalose
Humectant
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Lecithin
Emollient
Amylopectin
Lithothamnion Calcareum Extract
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingPolyglyceryl-6 Laurate
Emulsifying
Lauryl Glucoside
CleansingDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientMyristyl Glucoside
CleansingGlyceryl Laurate
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingLactic Acid
Buffering
Citric Acid
Buffering
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Lactobacillus/Arundinaria Gigantea Ferment Filtrate, Pentylene Glycol, Isononyl Isononanoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dextrin, Polyglyceryl-3 Cocoate, Oleyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Inulin, Saccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Polyglutamic Acid, Hylocereus Undatus Fruit Extract, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, Lactococcus Ferment Extract, Ceramide NP, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Propanediol, Trehalose, Hydroxyacetophenone, Lecithin, Amylopectin, Lithothamnion Calcareum Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sclerotium Gum, Polyglyceryl-6 Laurate, Lauryl Glucoside, Decyl Glucoside, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Myristyl Glucoside, Glyceryl Laurate, Xanthan Gum, Lactic Acid, Citric Acid, Tocopherol, Benzyl Alcohol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Benzoic Acid
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
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 TriglycerideGlycerin (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 GlycerinLecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
Learn more about LecithinPentylene 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 GlycolWater. 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
