What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract
Antimicrobial
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Palmitoyl Oligopeptide
Cleansing
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Chloroxylenol
Antimicrobial
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract
Perfuming
Water, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Squalane, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Butylene Glycol, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Caprylyl Glycol, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Allantoin, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Chloroxylenol, Phospholipids, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Sorbic Acid, Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningRicinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Methylpropanediol
SolventBis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
Emollient
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil
Emollient
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingSclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Squalane
Emollient
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Pelargonium Capitatum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingHyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Superoxide Dismutase
Antioxidant
Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Cananga Odorata Flower Oil
Masking
Copernicia Cerifera Cera
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingHydrolyzed Viola Tricolor Extract
Skin ProtectingPhenylpropanol
Masking
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Jasminum Grandiflorum Flower Extract
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialCitric Acid
Buffering
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Eugenol
Perfuming
Farnesol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Methylpropanediol, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Betaine, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Palmitic Acid, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Beta-Glucan, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Tocopherol, Squalane, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Pelargonium Capitatum Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Hyaluronic Acid, Superoxide Dismutase, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Ceteareth-20, Myristic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Hydrolyzed Viola Tricolor Extract, Phenylpropanol, Lauric Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Jasminum Grandiflorum Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Citric Acid, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Salicylate, Citral, Citronellol, Limonene, Eugenol, Farnesol, Geraniol, Linalool
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholGlycerin (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 GlycerinSqualane 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 SqualaneStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic 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 Water
