What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
CleansingLauryl Betaine
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantSodium Chloride
MaskingGluconolactone
Skin ConditioningC12-14 Pareth-12
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol Laurate
Skin ConditioningLaurylpyridinium Chloride
AntimicrobialHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingLevulinic Acid
PerfumingAllantoin
Skin ConditioningSodium Bicarbonate
AbrasiveButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantOenothera Biennis Oil
EmollientOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
MaskingPanthenol
Skin ConditioningSaponaria Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingSqualane
EmollientPersea Gratissima Oil
Skin ConditioningOlea Europaea Oil Unsaponifiables
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantGlycine Soja Oil Unsaponifiables
EmollientTriticum Vulgare Germ Oil Unsaponifiables
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Vegetable Oil
EmollientBifida Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus Ferment
Skin ConditioningLactococcus Ferment Lysate
Skin ConditioningStreptococcus Thermophilus Ferment
HumectantPollen Extract
EmollientCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
EmollientMyristic Acid
CleansingPhytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantParfum
MaskingWater, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Lauryl Betaine, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Gluconolactone, C12-14 Pareth-12, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Propylene Glycol Laurate, Laurylpyridinium Chloride, Hexylene Glycol, Levulinic Acid, Allantoin, Sodium Bicarbonate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Panthenol, Saponaria Officinalis Leaf Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Squalane, Persea Gratissima Oil, Olea Europaea Oil Unsaponifiables, Butylene Glycol, Glycine Soja Oil Unsaponifiables, Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil Unsaponifiables, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Bifida Ferment Filtrate, Lactobacillus Ferment, Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, Streptococcus Thermophilus Ferment, Pollen Extract, Ceramide NP, Cholesterol, Myristic Acid, Phytosphingosine, Tocopherol, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningDisodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingLauryl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingSodium Chloride
MaskingGlycerin
HumectantSodium Cocoyl Alaninate
Acrylates Copolymer
C12-14 Pareth-12
EmulsifyingButylene Glycol
HumectantCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
MaskingCitrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
MaskingCitrus Nobilis Peel Oil
MaskingDipropylene Glycol
HumectantHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Tocopherol
AntioxidantSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin ConditioningPersea Gratissima Oil
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientCamellia Japonica Seed Oil
EmollientArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil
EmollientCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingSalix Alba Bark Extract
AstringentPolyglyceryl-10 Myristate
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningAcorus Calamus Root Extract
PerfumingArtemisia Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialHouttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin ConditioningPerilla Frutescens Leaf Extract
MaskingPropanediol
SolventCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingCetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientEthylhexyl Palmitate
EmollientChenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Germ Extract
EmollientOryza Sativa Extract
AbsorbentPhaseolus Angularis Seed Extract
AntioxidantMacadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
EmollientCnidium Officinale Root Extract
Skin ConditioningAnastatica Hierochuntica Extract
AstringentArachis Hypogaea Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPhaseolus Vulgaris Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantPhaseolus Radiatus Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningLonicera Japonica Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningLens Esculenta Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPhytosteryl/Behenyl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Skin ConditioningBrassica Campestris Sterols
EmollientCholesterol
EmollientHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantHydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate
Skin ConditioningPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
HumectantSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
HumectantCeramide Ns
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningLimonene
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingWater, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Lauryl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Chloride, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Alaninate, Acrylates Copolymer, C12-14 Pareth-12, Butylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Pentylene Glycol, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil, Dipropylene Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Tocopherol, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Centella Asiatica Extract, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Acorus Calamus Root Extract, Artemisia Vulgaris Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Perilla Frutescens Leaf Extract, Propanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Oryza Sativa Germ Extract, Oryza Sativa Extract, Phaseolus Angularis Seed Extract, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Cnidium Officinale Root Extract, Anastatica Hierochuntica Extract, Arachis Hypogaea Fruit Extract, Phaseolus Vulgaris Seed Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phaseolus Radiatus Seed Extract, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract, Phytosteryl/Behenyl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Brassica Campestris Sterols, Cholesterol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Ceramide NP, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide EOP, Limonene, Linalool
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.Â
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 preservativesÂ
Butylene 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 GlycolC12-14 Pareth-12 is created from a mixture of synthetic C12-14 alcohols that have about 12 moles of ethylene oxide.
It is an emulsifying and cleansing ingredient. Emulsifier help prevent ingredients from separating, such as oils and waters.
This ingredient is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.
It helps thicken a product's formula and makes it easier to spread by dissolving clumping compounds.
Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid. Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. 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. Be sure to 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.
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 or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCeramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
Learn more about Ceramide NPCholesterol is a lipid that is naturally found in human skin and is one of the three key components of your skin barrier. In skincare, it is an emollient and barrier-repairing ingredient.
It works by fitting directly into the lipid layers of skin to help restore structure and reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
This is a great ingredient for dry, compromised, or aging skin; our skin starts to produce less cholesterol with age.
Research shows cholesterol works best in combination with ceramides and fatty acids, the other two major components in your skin barrier.
Cholesterol is also a well-establish penetration enhancer and can help other actives absorb more effectively.
Cosmetic-grade cholesterol is usually derived from lanolin but plant and synthetic options also exist. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about their source of cholesterol.
Learn more about CholesterolDisodium 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 EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinHexylene Glycol is a multitasker ingredient that works as a solvent, humectant, emulsifier, viscosity reducer, and preservative booster.
It is able to dissolve both water and oil-soluble ingredients to stabilize tricky actives and make products spread more easily.
As a humectant, it pulls water into the skin. But it's a pretty minor moisturizing ingredient compared to other humectants, like glycerin.
Interestingly, it can act as a mild penetration enhancer. One in vitro study on human skin found a 12% concentration upped the absorption of mometasone furoate (a medicinal ingredient used to treat inflammatory skin conditions) up to 7%.
This ingredient is typically used at levels of 0.1-10% depending on the role it's playing.
A patch test study on eczema patients didn't find a significant increase in irritation versus the control group, but the potential for irritation rises at higher concentrations.
Learn more about Hexylene GlycolHydrogenated Lecithin is a more stable version of lecithin.
It's made by taking lecithin (a phospholipid commonly found in soybeans and egg yolks) and hydrogenating it. This just means the unsaturated fatty acids are turned into saturated ones so they don't go bad as easily.
This ingredient is an emollient, emulsifier, and penetration enhancer. As an emollient, it helps soften and hydrate skin by trapping moisture within. As an emulsifier, it prevents oil and water ingredients from separating.
Hydrogenated Lecithin can form tiny spherical structures made of phospholipid bilayers called liposomes. These liposomes are able to capture compounds inside their structure and deliver them through the skin barrier.
Because phospholipids are a natural component of our cell membranes, this ingredient is inherently compatible with skin.
A 2021 study found lecithin-based surfactants were less harsh and more tolerable comared to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).
Learn more about Hydrogenated LecithinHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid (HA) that is broken down into lower molecular weight fragments.
It's a humectant that pulls and holds water in the skin to help with hydration, plumpness, and reduce transepidermal water loss.
Because hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid is smaller in size, it can slip past your outermost layer of skin more easily than full-sized HA.
Most formulations will combine all sizes to get the best of both worlds.
Typical usage levels range from 0.01-1%. Any percentage higher than 2% might become goopy and tacky.
Learn more about Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic AcidThis ingredient is also known as Avocado oil. It's the cold-pressed oil from the flesh of the avocado fruit packed with fatty acids (mostly oleic acid).
The rich fatty acid profile allows it to function as a skin conditioning agent and emollient; it helps soften and smooth skin while reducing water loss.
Preclinical research has found that topical avocado oil increased collagen synthesis and reduced inflammation during wound healing, giving it some skin-repairing credibility.
The unsaponifiable fraction of the oil is also interesting: studies on avocado unsaponifiables showed that it helped skin produce more collagen and other structural compounds that support healing.
The CIR Expert Panel has found this ingredient to be non-irritating in formulations.
It's a great ingredient for dry or compromised skin. Just know it may not be fungal acne safe. This is because the oleic acid content falls within the range that Malassezia can use as a food source.
Learn more about Persea Gratissima OilChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideTocopherol 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