What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Yeast Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantAlpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
CleansingSodium Acrylates Copolymer
Euphrasia Officinalis Extract
AntimicrobialAllantoin
Skin ConditioningMelissa Officinalis Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingBisabolol
AntioxidantBiosaccharide Gum-1
HumectantMagnolia Biondii Bud/Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeButylene Glycol
HumectantLecithin
EmollientMethylpropanediol
SolventEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativePolyglucuronic Acid
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
MaskingSorbic Acid
PreservativeTocopherol
AntioxidantTrisodium EDTA
Sodium Metabisulfite
AntioxidantCitric Acid
BufferingWater, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Hydrolyzed Yeast Extract, Glycerin, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Euphrasia Officinalis Extract, Allantoin, Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Bisabolol, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Magnolia Biondii Bud/Flower Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Butylene Glycol, Lecithin, Methylpropanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Potassium Sorbate, Polyglucuronic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Sorbic Acid, Tocopherol, Trisodium EDTA, Sodium Metabisulfite, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningAlcohol
AntimicrobialLavandula Angustifolia Water
MaskingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingDecyl Cocoate
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantPolyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
EmulsifyingCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientRubus Fruticosus Fruit Extract
AstringentAesculus Hippocastanum Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientCellulose
AbsorbentSodium PCA
HumectantDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientAroma
Palmitic Acid
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingAscorbyl Palmitate
AntioxidantTocopherol
AntioxidantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingLinalool
PerfumingSodium Phytate
Sodium Hyaluronate
HumectantHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantLimonene
PerfumingWater, Alcohol, Lavandula Angustifolia Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Decyl Cocoate, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Rubus Fruticosus Fruit Extract, Aesculus Hippocastanum Seed Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Cellulose, Sodium PCA, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Aroma, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Linalool, Sodium Phytate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Limonene
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycerinTocopherol 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