What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Betula Platyphylla Japonica Juice
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Simethicone
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate
Emollient
Cholesterol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingArginine
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningOleic Acid
Emollient
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Brassica Campestris Sterols
EmollientTocopherol
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Betula Platyphylla Japonica Juice, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Propanediol, Glycerin, Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Panthenol, Stearic Acid, Simethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ceramide NP, Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Cholesterol, Carbomer, Arginine, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Oleic Acid, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Squalane, Brassica Campestris Sterols, Tocopherol, Disodium EDTA
Water
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
C10-18 Triglycerides
Emollient
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Borago Officinalis Seed Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingAlpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingParfum
Masking
Water, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Glycerin, C10-18 Triglycerides, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Pentylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Glyceryl Glucoside, Glycine Soja Oil, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Tocopherol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Parfum
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
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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate Se is a self-emulsifying (SE) form of glyceryl stearate. Self-emusifying means this ingredient automatically blends with water. It is an emulsifier, emollient, and cleansing agent.
As an emulsifier, Glyceryl Stearate Se prevents ingredients such as oil and water from separating. It is also a surfactant, meaning it helps cleanse the skin. Surfactants help gather oil, dirt, and other pollutants so they may be rinsed away easily.
Emollients help your skin stay smooth and soft. It does so by creating a film on top of the skin that helps trap moisture in.
Learn more about Glyceryl Stearate SeTocopherol 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
