What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Water
SolventNiacinamide
Smoothing
Propanediol
Solvent
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water
Masking
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Castor Oil/Ipdi Copolymer
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingXanthan Gum
Emulsifying3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Bifida Ferment Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Water, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Water, Niacinamide, Propanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Castor Oil/Ipdi Copolymer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Xanthan Gum, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA, Allantoin, Bifida Ferment Filtrate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Butylene Glycol, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract, Caprylyl Glycol
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantPropanediol
Solvent
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
2,3-Butanediol
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Glycosyl Trehalose
Emulsion StabilisingHydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitol
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Trehalose
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Vetiveria Zizanoides Root Oil
Masking
Dextrin
AbsorbentSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Carthamus Tinctorius Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningTheobroma Cacao Seed Extract
Antioxidant
Piper Nigrum Fruit Oil
Masking
Zingiber Officinale Root Oil
Masking
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Ganoderma Lucidum Extract
Skin Protecting
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ferulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Squalane
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Cinnamomum Cassia Leaf Oil
Masking
Rosa Damascena Flower Oil
Masking
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Tromethamine
BufferingWater, Dipropylene Glycol, Propanediol, Ascorbic Acid, 2,3-Butanediol, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Panthenol, Glycosyl Trehalose, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sorbitol, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Allantoin, Madecassoside, Trehalose, Butylene Glycol, Vetiveria Zizanoides Root Oil, Dextrin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Carthamus Tinctorius Flower Extract, Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract, Piper Nigrum Fruit Oil, Zingiber Officinale Root Oil, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Ganoderma Lucidum Extract, Tocopherol, Ferulic Acid, Squalane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ceramide NP, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Cinnamomum Cassia Leaf Oil, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Glycine Soja Oil, Disodium EDTA, Tromethamine
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinButylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCaprylic/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 TriglycerideDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolTromethamine (aka THAM) is a synthetic amino acid that shows up in skincare as a helper ingredient.
It functions as a pH adjuster to help neutralize acidic ingredients and set a formula's pH to the right spot.
This matters a lot because a lot of actives (like vitamin C) needs a specific pH to work well and feel comfortable on skin.
Concentration use ranges from 0.1-1.0% depending on the formula.
Learn more about TromethamineWater. 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
