What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingNylon-12 Fluorescent Brightener 230 Salt
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
EmollientTriheptanoin
Skin ConditioningMethylpropanediol
SolventPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingHydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate
HumectantPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientSodium Polyacrylate
AbsorbentC9-12 Alkane
SolventDilinoleic Acid/Butanediol Copolymer
Haematococcus Pluvialis Extract
AntioxidantPolyvinylalcohol Crosspolymer
Steareth-20
CleansingAsparagopsis Armata Extract
Skin ProtectingCastor Oil/Ipdi Copolymer
Chlorhexidine Digluconate
AntimicrobialAscophyllum Nodosum Extract
Skin ConditioningN-Hydroxysuccinimide
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeCitric Acid
BufferingChrysin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPalmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Nylon-12 Fluorescent Brightener 230 Salt, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Triheptanoin, Methylpropanediol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Polyacrylate, C9-12 Alkane, Dilinoleic Acid/Butanediol Copolymer, Haematococcus Pluvialis Extract, Polyvinylalcohol Crosspolymer, Steareth-20, Asparagopsis Armata Extract, Castor Oil/Ipdi Copolymer, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Chrysin, Sodium Hydroxide, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate
HumectantLactobacillus/Collagen Ferment Filtrate
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingGlycerin
HumectantCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientCetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientMacadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil
Skin ConditioningWater
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Olivate
Pentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningBifida Ferment Lysate
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Olivate
EmulsifyingSorbitan Stearate
EmulsifyingPropanediol
SolventBetaine
HumectantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientAlthaea Rosea Root Extract
HumectantBeta-Glucan
Skin ConditioningCopper Tripeptide-1
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin ConditioningHexapeptide-11
Skin ConditioningHexapeptide-9
Skin ConditioningTripeptide-1
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin ConditioningAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingIsopentyldiol
HumectantArginine
MaskingSucrose Palmitate
EmollientSodium Surfactin
CleansingAdenosine
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientCitrus Paradisi Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantSchisandra Chinensis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPerilla Ocymoides Leaf Extract
TonicAcorus Calamus Root Extract
PerfumingPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin ConditioningGalactomyces Ferment Filtrate, Lactobacillus/Collagen Ferment Filtrate, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Water, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetearyl Olivate, Pentylene Glycol, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Ceramide NP, Sorbitan Olivate, Sorbitan Stearate, Propanediol, Betaine, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Althaea Rosea Root Extract, Beta-Glucan, Copper Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Hexapeptide-11, Hexapeptide-9, Tripeptide-1, Allantoin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Isopentyldiol, Arginine, Sucrose Palmitate, Sodium Surfactin, Adenosine, Caprylyl Glycol, Citrus Paradisi Fruit Extract, Tocopherol, Schisandra Chinensis Fruit Extract, Perilla Ocymoides Leaf Extract, Acorus Calamus Root Extract, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCaprylyl 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, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinPalmitoyl Tripeptide-1 (aka Pal-GHK) is a synthetic signal peptide made of three amino acids attached to palmitic acid.
That fatty acid attachment is the key: it boosts the peptide's ability to penetrate the skin barrier. This puts it closer to the dermal cells where it can actually make a difference.
Once there, it acts as a matrikine, a signaling peptide that prompts fibroblasts to produce more collagen, fibronectin, and hyaluronic acid.
In vitro studies show it can boost collagen production in skin cells even when UV-damaged skin samples were treated with it at a tiny concentration (it almost fully restored dermal collagen at 5ppm). It achieved this at 100x lower concentration than retinoic acid, which needed 500 ppm to do the same thing.
Human clinical data is promising, but modest:
A study of 23 female volunteers found a small but statistically significant increase (~4%) in skin thickness after treatment at 4 ppm.
A separate small trial of 15 women showed statistically significant reductions in wrinkle length, depth, and skin roughness after applying it twice daily for four weeks.
You'll likely see Pal-GHK paired with Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 as part of the Matrixyl 3000 complex.
Fungal acne note:
Usually a palmitic acid component can feed Malassezia in unbound form, but here is is covalently bonded to the peptide. This means it is very difficult for Malassezia to access, and therefore very unlikely to cause fungal acne.
Water. 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