What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDiglycerin
Humectant
Trideceth-9
EmulsifyingEthylhexyl Methoxycrylene
Skin Conditioning
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Sphingolipids
Emollient
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Lecithin
Emollient
Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate
Emollient
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningT-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Sodium Citrate
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
BHT
Antioxidant
BHA
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Diglycerin, Trideceth-9, Ethylhexyl Methoxycrylene, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Panthenol, Retinol, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Allantoin, Cholesterol, Sphingolipids, Phospholipids, Lecithin, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Polysorbate 20, Ethylhexylglycerin, T-Butyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Potassium Sorbate, Glyceryl Oleate, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, BHT, BHA, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Isododecane
EmollientSqualane
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPolylactic Acid
Abrasive
Cyclodextrin
AbsorbentPPG-12/Smdi Copolymer
EmollientSorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Rubus Chamaemorus Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Canola Oil
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Alumina
Abrasive
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Isostearic Acid
Cleansing
Lecithin
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate
Emulsifying
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingVanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil
Emollient
Retinal
Skin Conditioning
Retinyl Retinoate
Skin Conditioning
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Polyaspartate
HumectantCeramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Copper Palmitoyl Heptapeptide-14
Skin Conditioning
Heptapeptide-15 Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingCholesterol
Emollient
Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningLonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract
Perfuming
C12-16 Alcohols
EmollientBHT
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingLinoleic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCholesteryl Nonanoate
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientLactic Acid/Glycolic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningPolyvinyl Alcohol
Phenylpropanol
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
CI 14700
Cosmetic ColorantTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Isododecane, Squalane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Olivate, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polylactic Acid, Cyclodextrin, PPG-12/Smdi Copolymer, Sorbitan Olivate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Rubus Chamaemorus Seed Oil, Canola Oil, Pentylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Alumina, Phenoxyethanol, Isostearic Acid, Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Stearic Acid, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Ceramide NP, Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil, Retinal, Retinyl Retinoate, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Sodium Polyaspartate, Ceramide AP, Phytosphingosine, Disodium EDTA, Phytosterols, Copper Palmitoyl Heptapeptide-14, Heptapeptide-15 Palmitate, Ceramide EOP, Phenethyl Alcohol, Cholesterol, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract, C12-16 Alcohols, BHT, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Linoleic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Cholesteryl Nonanoate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Glyceryl Caprylate, Lactic Acid/Glycolic Acid Copolymer, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Phenylpropanol, Parfum, Limonene, Linalool, Citral, CI 14700, Titanium Dioxide
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
BHT is a synthetic antioxidant and preservative.
As an antioxidant, it helps your body fight off free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells.
As a preservative, it is used to stabilize products and prevent them from degrading. Specifically, BHT prevents degradation from oxidation.
The concerns related to BHT come from oral studies; this ingredient is currently allowed for use by both the FDA and EU.
However, it was recently restricted for use in the UK as of April 2024.
Learn more about BHTCholesterol is a lipid that is naturally found in human skin and is one of the three key components of your skin barrier. In skincare, it is an emollient and barrier-repairing ingredient.
It works by fitting directly into the lipid layers of skin to help restore structure and reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
This is a great ingredient for dry, compromised, or aging skin; our skin starts to produce less cholesterol with age.
Research shows cholesterol works best in combination with ceramides and fatty acids, the other two major components in your skin barrier.
Cholesterol is also a well-establish penetration enhancer and can help other actives absorb more effectively.
Cosmetic-grade cholesterol is usually derived from lanolin but plant and synthetic options also exist. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about their source of cholesterol.
Learn more about CholesterolCitric 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 AcidDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinLecithin 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.
Depending on the source of this ingredient, lecithin may not be fungal acne safe. This is because some sources of lecithin come from soybean oil, which may feed the malassezia yeast that causes fungal acne.
We recommend reaching out to the brand you are purchasing from to inquire about the source of their lecithin.
Learn more about LecithinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Water. 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
