What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
2,3-Butanediol
HumectantJojoba Esters
Emollient
Octyldodecyl Myristate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate
Emollient
Pentaerythrityl Distearate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Brassica Oleracea Italica Seed Oil
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingBisabolol
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Rosa Canina Seed Oil
Emollient
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Polyglycerin-3
Humectant
Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract
AstringentIsostearic Acid
Cleansing
Citric Acid
Buffering
Glyceryl Caprylate
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Pentaerythritol
HumectantMagnesium Aspartate
Skin ConditioningZinc Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Pseudoalteromonas Ferment Extract
Humectant
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Copper Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Water, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Pentylene Glycol, 2,3-Butanediol, Jojoba Esters, Octyldodecyl Myristate, Glycerin, Propanediol, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Pentaerythrityl Distearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Brassica Oleracea Italica Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Bisabolol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Xanthan Gum, Bakuchiol, Caffeine, Rosa Canina Seed Oil, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyglycerin-3, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract, Isostearic Acid, Citric Acid, Glyceryl Caprylate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Pentaerythritol, Magnesium Aspartate, Zinc Gluconate, Pseudoalteromonas Ferment Extract, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Tocopherol, Copper Gluconate
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Squalane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Olivate
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Spilanthes Acmella Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Palmitate
Emulsifying
Dunaliella Salina Extract
Skin ConditioningAstaxanthin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Squalane, Glycerin, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetearyl Olivate, Jojoba Esters, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Panthenol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Cetyl Palmitate, Spilanthes Acmella Flower Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Sorbitan Palmitate, Dunaliella Salina Extract, Astaxanthin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol, Citric Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Citric 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 GlycerinThis is a synthetic polymer. It helps improve the texture of products by adding thickness and gel-like feel.
It is also an emulsifer, meaning it prevents ingredients such as oil and water from separating. It also helps evenly disperse other ingredients.
Jojoba Esters is a wax created from Jojoba oil. It is an emollient and film-forming ingredient. In bead form, it is an exfoliator.
This ingredient has high oxidative stability, meaning it doesn't break down when exposed to oxygen.
Its similarity to our skin's natural oils makes it a great emollient. Emollients help soften and soothe our skin by creating a barrier on top. This barrier helps trap moisture in, keeping skin hydrated.
It is created using either the hydrogenation or transesterification processes on jojoba oil.
Learn more about Jojoba EstersPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Tocopherol 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
