This anti-aging serum is formulated around Squalane and Retinyl Palmitate to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.
This calming serum is formulated around Avena Sativa Kernel Oil to calm redness and strengthen the skin barrier.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
We don't have a description for Hydrogenated Ethylhexyl Olivate yet.
Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables are the "leftover" part of olive oil after the fatty acids get turned into soap.
Most of what's left behind is a concentrated blend of squalene, phytosterols, and vitamin E.
Squalene is pretty cool because it's already naturally found in our skin and makes up about 13% of sebum. This makes it a great moisturizing and skin-barrier-supporting ingredient.
This ingredient is typically used at low concentrations (~1-3%) and occasionally up to 25% when acting as the main ingredient in a formula.
Fungal acne note: Though this ingredient is largely free of fatty acid esters that feed Malassezia, it may still have some residual fatty acids depending on the purity. This is why this ingredient is marked as not fungal acne safe.
People with existing olive oil allergies should be cautious as well.
Learn more about Hydrogenated Olive Oil UnsaponifiablesTocopherol 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 Tocopherol
