What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Isostearyl Isostearate
Emollient
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventHydroxypinacolone Retinoate
Skin Conditioning
Lecithin
Emollient
Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Cardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Cyclopentasiloxane, Isostearyl Isostearate, Octyldodecanol, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Lecithin, Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Cardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Propanediol
Solvent
Coco-Caprylate
Emollient
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventPolyglyceryl-6 Distearate
Emulsifying
Cellulose Acetate Butyrate
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate
Skin Conditioning
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Retinal
Skin Conditioning
Lactococcus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Plankton Extract
Skin ConditioningCeramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningJojoba Esters
Emollient
Lecithin
Emollient
Pullulan
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTricaprylin
Perfuming
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Silica
Abrasive
Sodium Chloride
MaskingLactic Acid
Buffering
Citric Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Propanediol, Coco-Caprylate, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate, Cellulose Acetate Butyrate, Cetyl Alcohol, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Retinol, Retinal, Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, Plankton Extract, Ceramide Ng, Tocopherol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Jojoba Esters, Lecithin, Pullulan, Sclerotium Gum, Xanthan Gum, Tricaprylin, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Caprylyl Glycol, Silica, Sodium Chloride, Lactic Acid, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Dimethyl Isosorbide is a low-irritation solvent that helps deliver actives into your skin. It is created from glucose.
Research shows how well this ingredient works depends on the active and formulation rather than the concentration alone. This means adding more Dimethyl Isosorbide does not guarantee better penetration of ingredients into the skin.
This ingredient is a retinoid. It usually goes by a more common name: "Granactive".
Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate (HPR) belongs to the class of retinoids that also includes retinol and tretinoin.
Retinoids have been proven to:
So what is the difference between all the retinoids?
Most retinoids need to go through a conversion line to become effective on skin. The ending product is retinoic acid. Retinoic acid is AKA tretinoin.
HPR is an ester of tretinoin. Emerging studies suggest HPR to have an added benefit that other retinoids don't have: Low irritation.
A study from 2021 found HPR to have the greatest stability when exposed to light and temperature out of all the commercial retinoids.
A note about naming:
The name "Granactive" is the trade name and the name most commonly used on packages.
Granactive is the name of the mixture - about 90% solvent and 10% HPR. A product with 5% granactive has 0.5% HPR.
Learn more about Hydroxypinacolone RetinoateLecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
Depending on the source of this ingredient, lecithin may not be fungal acne safe. This is because some sources of lecithin come from soybean oil, which may feed the malassezia yeast that causes fungal acne.
We recommend reaching out to the brand you are purchasing from to inquire about the source of their lecithin.
Learn more about LecithinTocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
Learn more about Tocopherol
