What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide 4%
Smoothing
Dimethicone
Emollient
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Coco-Caprylate
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Sucrose Dilaurate
Emollient
Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Pisum Sativum Extract
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polyacrylamidomethylpropane Sulfonic Acid
Disodium EDTA
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Niacinamide 4%, Dimethicone, Beta-Glucan, Sodium Polyacrylate, Coco-Caprylate, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Maltodextrin, Sucrose Dilaurate, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Pisum Sativum Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Polyacrylamidomethylpropane Sulfonic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Tocopheryl Acetate, Parfum, Sodium Hydroxide
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Dimethicone
Emollient
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Laminaria Digitata Extract
Skin Protecting
Cetyl-Pg Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Polyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus
Skin ConditioningMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Oryza Sativa Bran Water
Masking
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientPolyglyceryl-3 Caprate
EmulsifyingXylitylglucoside
Humectant
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
BHT
Antioxidant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
C14-22 Alcohols
Emulsion Stabilising
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Dimethicone, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Cyclopentasiloxane, Hyaluronic Acid, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Cetyl-Pg Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide NP, Ceramide As, Ceramide AP, Tocopheryl Acetate, Polyglutamic Acid, Lactobacillus, Maltodextrin, Oryza Sativa Bran Water, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Stearic Acid, Sodium Polyacrylate, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Polyglyceryl-3 Caprate, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, BHT, Sodium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, C14-22 Alcohols, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Benzyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Dicaprylyl Carbonate comes from carbonic acid and caprylyl alcohol, a fatty alcohol. It is an emollient and gives skin a velvet feel. The sources of Dicaprylyl Carbonate may be synthetic or from animals.
As an emollient, Dicaprylyl Carbonate creates a film on the skin. This film traps moisture in, keeping your skin soft and hydrated.
Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeDisodium 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 EDTAMaltodextrin is a plant-derived carbohydrate made by breaking down starch (usually from corn, potato, or rice). In cosmetic formulas, it's a multitasking absorbent, emulsion stabilizer, and skin conditioner.
This ingredient is mostly used to stabilize emulsions and improve the powdery, non-greasy feel of products (like dry shampoos).
Safety-wise, this ingredient is pretty solid; it's even recognized as a food additive. Both animal and clinical studies found no adverse effects at the levels used in cosmetics.
Industry data shows this ingredient is used up to 45.7% in spray products and up to 33% in powder products.
Learn more about MaltodextrinSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideSodium Polyacrylate is the sodium salt of polyacrylic acid. It is used as an absorber, emollient, and stabilizer.
This ingredient is a super-absorbent polymer - meaning it can absorb 100 to 1000 times its mass in water. As an emollient, Sodium Polyacrylate helps soften and soothe skin. Emollients work by creating a barrier to trap moisture in. This helps keep your skin hydrated.
Tocopheryl Acetate is a stable, shelf-friendly form of vitamin E.
Formulators love it because plain vitamin E oxidizes quickly once it hits air. This acetate version stays stable and resists going off, helping to extend a product's shelf life.
It's actually inactive on its own and works like a slow-release "storage" form; the enzymes in your skin called esterases gradually convert it into active vitamin E over time.
One in vivo study showed 5% of the acetate in the living layer of the epidermis converted to vitamin E after 5 days of application. This study also found the skin gained protection against UV damage even though the conversion was slow and small.
Once converted, vitamin E acts as a skin's main fat-soluble antioxidant that fights free radicals to protect skin from damage.
Topical vitamin E generally boosts the skin's photoprotection, and it reduced UV-damage in animal models.
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.
Overall, it has a pretty solid safety profile and has been found to be non-irritating and non-comedogenic. Allergic reactions may happen but stay rare due to how widely the ingredient gets used.
The concentration will vary depending on the formula; industry data shows 0.1% in baby lotions, 3% in lipsticks, and 5% in foot powders. You can also find this ingredient at 100% in a pure vitamin E oil.
Most leave-on skincare keeps it at the lower end, often between 0.5-1%.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. 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
