What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
PEG-240/Hdi Copolymer Bis-Decyltetradeceth-20 Ether
StabilisingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Sorbitan Sesquioleate
Emulsifying
Glycereth-26
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Trehalose
Humectant
Mangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Betaine
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Eclipta Prostrata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Potassium Laurate
EmulsifyingMoringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Undaria Pinnatifida Extract
Skin ConditioningMusa Sapientum Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCynara Scolymus Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningBrassica Oleracea Capitata Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningAsparagus Officinalis Extract
Skin ConditioningAllium Cepa Bulb Extract
Skin Conditioning
Methylpropanediol
SolventChondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCeratonia Siliqua Gum
EmollientPotassium Chloride
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Sucrose
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Algin
Masking
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Calcium Chloride
AstringentDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Sodium Citrate
BufferingCeratonia Siliqua Fruit Extract
MaskingCitric Acid
Buffering
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Hydrogen Dimethicone
Glucose
Humectant
Kaolin
Abrasive
Diatomaceous Earth
Abrasive
Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Niacinamide, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, PEG-240/Hdi Copolymer Bis-Decyltetradeceth-20 Ether, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Glycereth-26, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Trehalose, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Betaine, Allantoin, Adenosine, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Potassium Laurate, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Undaria Pinnatifida Extract, Musa Sapientum Fruit Extract, Cynara Scolymus Leaf Extract, Brassica Oleracea Capitata Leaf Extract, Asparagus Officinalis Extract, Allium Cepa Bulb Extract, Methylpropanediol, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Xanthan Gum, Ceratonia Siliqua Gum, Potassium Chloride, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sucrose, Panthenol, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Algin, Titanium Dioxide, Caprylyl Glycol, Calcium Chloride, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Sodium Citrate, Ceratonia Siliqua Fruit Extract, Citric Acid, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Hydrogen Dimethicone, Glucose, Kaolin, Diatomaceous Earth
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Squalane
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingGlycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlycolipids
Skin ConditioningDehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Glycine Soja Sterols
Emollient
T-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Squalane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Retinol, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Benzyl Alcohol, Phospholipids, Tocopherol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Glycine Soja Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycolipids, Dehydroacetic Acid, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Glycine Soja Sterols, T-Butyl Alcohol
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 TriglycerideCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinTocopherol 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
