What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Isopentyldiol
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Lecithin
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Trifolium Pratense Extract
Skin ConditioningPantolactone
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Squalane, Dicaprylyl Ether, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Panthenol, Isopentyldiol, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Lecithin, Parfum, Maltodextrin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Lactobacillus Ferment, Trifolium Pratense Extract, Pantolactone, Citric Acid, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Olivate
Propylheptyl Caprylate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
4-T-Butylcyclohexanol
Masking
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Olivate
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Ethylene Brassylate
MaskingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Triethanolamine
BufferingLecithin
Emollient
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningSilybum Marianum Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningHydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Panthenol, Cetearyl Olivate, Propylheptyl Caprylate, Glycerin, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Sorbitan Olivate, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, 4-T-Butylcyclohexanol, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Cyclopentasiloxane, Ethylhexyl Olivate, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Ethylene Brassylate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Triethanolamine, Lecithin, Bisabolol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Butylene Glycol, Allantoin, Disodium EDTA, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Silybum Marianum Fruit Extract, Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCitric 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 AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinLecithin 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 LecithinPanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolPhenoxyethanol 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.
This ingredient is a synthetic, salt form polymer built from acrylic acid, ethacrylic acid, or their simple esters. It works as a binder, film former, and viscosity increasing agent.
Typical concentrations start at around 0.5% but can go up to 25% for film-forming or binding.
The CIR Expert Panel assessed the safety of 126 acrylates copolymers and concluded they are safe in cosmetics at current use levels when formulated to be non-irritating. They also noted the levels present in finished cosmetic products are not considered a safety risk and Genotoxicity testing (Ames tests, chromosomal aberration assays) has come back negative across the board.
Though the raw building blocks (like acrylic acid) can be irritating on their own, cosmetic-grade versions go through purification to keep levels extremely low.
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer is a large molecule that doesn't penetrate skin barrier in any meaningful way.
Learn more about Sodium Acrylates CopolymerTocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
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
