What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii Extract
HumectantAdansonia Digitata Seed Oil
Emollient
Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Lysolecithin
EmulsifyingSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Pullulan
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Malic Acid
Buffering
Silica
Abrasive
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Water, Glycerin, Lactobacillus Ferment, Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii Extract, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Lysolecithin, Sclerotium Gum, Sodium Hyaluronate, Pullulan, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Parfum, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Malic Acid, Silica, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide 3%
Smoothing
Glycerin
Humectant
Aspalathus Linearis Leaf Extract 1.3%
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Lysolecithin
EmulsifyingSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingCannabis Sativa Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Pullulan
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCentella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil
Emollient
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Sodium Phytate
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Silica
Abrasive
Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingHippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Chlorella Vulgaris Powder
Skin ConditioningTetrahydropiperine
Skin ConditioningGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Water, Niacinamide 3%, Glycerin, Aspalathus Linearis Leaf Extract 1.3%, Citric Acid, Lysolecithin, Sclerotium Gum, Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil, Sodium Benzoate, Pullulan, Xanthan Gum, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Potassium Sorbate, Tocopherol, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Sodium Phytate, Ubiquinone, Glycine Soja Oil, Silica, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Chlorella Vulgaris Powder, Tetrahydropiperine, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Baobab seed oil is an emollient. It is rich in fatty acids and vitamins A, E, and D.
The fatty acid content of this oil is roughly 30-40% oleic acid, 24-34% linoleic acid, and 18-30% palmitic acid. This gives it skin hydrating and nourishing properties.
Due to this fatty acid content, this ingredient may not be fungal-acne safe.
Fun fact: Our skin uses fatty acids, and especially linoleic acid, for creating ceramides.
Learn more about Adansonia Digitata Seed OilGlycerin (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 GlycerinWe don't have a description for Lysolecithin yet.
Pullulan is a low viscosity polysaccharide (a long chain carbohydrate) with binding and film forming properties when dissolved in water. It is used to create a "silicone-like" or silky feel in cosmetics without adding viscosity.
According to a manufacturer, this ingredient's ability to easily dissolves makes it a great carrier for active ingredients.
Due to it being edible and tasteless, you'll likely find this ingredient in breath freshener strips. This ingredient is produced from the starch of the fungus, Aureobasidium pullulans.
Pullulan is stable over a broad-range of pH.
Learn more about PullulanSclerotium Gum is a polysaccharide gum made by the fungus, Sclerotium rolfssii. It is similar to xanthan gum.
In cosmetics, Sclerotium Gum is used to thicken the texture and to help stabilize other ingredients.
As an emulsifier, Sclerotium Gum helps prevent ingredients from separating, such as water and oil.
Learn more about Sclerotium GumSilica, also known as silicon dioxide, is a naturally occurring mineral. It is used as a fine, spherical, and porous powder in cosmetics.
Though it has exfoliant properties, the function of silica varies depending on the product.
The unique structure of silica enhances the spreadability and adds smoothness, making it a great texture enhancer.
It is also used as an active carrier, emulsifier, and mattifier due to its ability to absorb excess oil.
In some products, tiny microneedles called spicules are made from silica or hydrolyzed sponge. When you rub them in, they lightly polish away dead skin layers and enhance the penetration of active ingredients.
Learn more about SilicaSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateTocopherol 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
