What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientTriethylhexanoin
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydrogenated Palm Oil
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Squalane
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Isostearic Acid
Cleansing
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSerine
Masking
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Isostearoyl Hydrolyzed Collagen
Cleansing
Water, Butylene Glycol, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Triethylhexanoin, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Palm Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Squalane, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Stearic Acid, Behenyl Alcohol, Pentylene Glycol, Polysorbate 60, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Isostearic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Serine, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Potassium Hydroxide, Tocopherol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Isostearoyl Hydrolyzed Collagen
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
C13-15 Alkane
SolventGlycerin
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Betaine
Humectant
Inulin
Skin Conditioning
Moringa Oleifera Leaf Water
Skin ConditioningMoringa Oleifera Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Carica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningFructose
Humectant
Sodium Polyglutamate
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Corallina Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Phytate
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCellulose
Absorbent
Glucose
Humectant
Silica
Abrasive
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract
TonicOcimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingPhenethyl Alcohol
MaskingXylitol
Humectant
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Water, Propanediol, C13-15 Alkane, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Betaine, Inulin, Moringa Oleifera Leaf Water, Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Fructose, Sodium Polyglutamate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Saccharide Isomerate, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Allantoin, Sodium Polyacrylate, Carbomer, Cellulose Gum, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Phytate, Potassium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, Cellulose, Glucose, Silica, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Benzoate, Maltodextrin, Gluconolactone, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Xylitylglucoside, Arachidyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Glucoside, Phenethyl Alcohol, Xylitol, Anhydroxylitol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Behenyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol (these are different from the drying, solvent alcohols).
Fatty Alcohols have hydrating properties and are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product. They are usually derived from natural fats and oils; behenyl alcohol is derived from the fats of vegetable oils.
Emollients help keep your skin soft and hydrated by creating a film that traps moisture in.
In 2000, Behenyl Alcohol was approved by the US as medicine to reduce the duration of cold sores.
Learn more about Behenyl AlcoholCarbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.
Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.
It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.
Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.
A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.
Learn more about CarbomerGlycerin (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 GlycerinPentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPotassium hydroxide is commonly known as caustic potash. It is used to fix the pH of a product or as a cleaning agent in soap. In cleansers, it is used for the saponification of oils.
Sapnification is the process of creating fatty acid metal salts from triglycerides and a strong base. During this process, Potassium Hydroxide is used up and is not present in the final product.
Using high concentrations of Potassium Hydroxide have shown to irritate the skin.
Learn more about Potassium HydroxideSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateTocopherol 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
