What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Sesquioleate
Emulsifying
Microcrystalline Wax
Emulsion StabilisingCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Betaine
Humectant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Polyquaternium-51
Skin Conditioning
PEG-100 Stearate
Illicium Verum Fruit Extract
Perfuming
Citrus Paradisi Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningNelumbium Speciosum Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningPaeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract
Skin ProtectingScutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Dimethicone
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingArginine
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPortulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Althaea Rosea Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Apium Graveolens Extract
Skin ConditioningBrassica Oleracea Capitata Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningBrassica Oleracea Italica Extract
AstringentBrassica Rapa Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningDaucus Carota Sativa Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Solanum Lycopersicum Fruit/Leaf/Stem Extract
AstringentNatto Gum
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Disodium EDTA
Lysine Hcl
Skin Conditioning
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Acetyl Methionine
Skin Conditioning
Theanine
EmollientWater, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Hyaluronate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Sorbitan Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Beta-Glucan, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Microcrystalline Wax, Cyclopentasiloxane, Betaine, Ceramide NP, Polyquaternium-51, PEG-100 Stearate, Illicium Verum Fruit Extract, Citrus Paradisi Fruit Extract, Nelumbium Speciosum Flower Extract, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Dimethicone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Chlorphenesin, Carbomer, Arginine, Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Althaea Rosea Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Apium Graveolens Extract, Brassica Oleracea Capitata Leaf Extract, Brassica Oleracea Italica Extract, Brassica Rapa Leaf Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Solanum Lycopersicum Fruit/Leaf/Stem Extract, Natto Gum, Centella Asiatica Extract, Disodium EDTA, Lysine Hcl, Proline, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Acetyl Methionine, Theanine
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract
RefreshingSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil
Emollient
Vegetable Oil
Skin Conditioning
Polyacrylamide
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingLaureth-7
EmulsifyingC13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Squalane, 1,2-Hexanediol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil, Vegetable Oil, Polyacrylamide, Carbomer, Laureth-7, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerCitric 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 GlycerinJojoba oil is one of the most well-studied plant-derived ingredients in cosmetics. It is an emollient with a special structure.
Because it is made up of 97-98% wax esters, it closely mirrors the linear monoesters found in human sebum. This makes it skin compatible, non-greasy, and lightweight.
Unlike other plant oils, jojoba wax doesn't easily penetrate skin. It mostly works in the uppermost layers as an emollient. This just means it forms a light barrier on the skin to help retain moisture.
Formulations with jojoba esters up to 90% reduced transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and increased barrier recovery by 81% (outperforming bisabolol at 47%).
Besides barrier support, the science also suggests jojoba to have anti-inflammatory effects and potential applications for skin infections, aging, and wound healing.
Fun fact: Indigenous cultures have used jojoba as a moisturizer and to help treat burns for centuries.
Due to its fatty acid content, Jojoba oil may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Simmondsia Chinensis Seed OilSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateWater. 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
