What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientCetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
EmulsifyingSclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil
HumectantBacillus/Folic Acid Ferment Filtrate Extract
AntioxidantNymphaea Alba Root Extract
Skin ConditioningSh-Oligopeptide-1
Skin ConditioningSh-Oligopeptide-2
Skin ConditioningSh-Polypeptide-1
Skin ConditioningSh-Polypeptide-9
Skin ConditioningSh-Polypeptide-11
Copper Palmitoyl Heptapeptide-14
Skin ConditioningHeptapeptide-15 Palmitate
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin ConditioningAlanine
MaskingArginine
MaskingGlycine
BufferingHistidine
HumectantIsoleucine
Skin ConditioningPhenylalanine
MaskingProline
Skin ConditioningSerine
MaskingThreonine
Valine
MaskingAcetyl Glutamine
Skin ConditioningCoconut Alkanes
EmollientCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
EmollientSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantAspartic Acid
MaskingLinoleic Acid
CleansingLinolenic Acid
CleansingLecithin
EmollientButylene Glycol
HumectantPolyvinyl Alcohol
Sodium Lactate
BufferingSodium PCA
HumectantPCA
HumectantSorbitan Isostearate
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingPolysorbate 60
EmulsifyingLactic Acid/Glycolic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingIsomalt
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeTocopherol
AntioxidantSodium Benzoate
MaskingPhenylpropanol
MaskingGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientSymphytum Officinale Callus Culture Extract
Skin ConditioningWater, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Bacillus/Folic Acid Ferment Filtrate Extract, Nymphaea Alba Root Extract, Sh-Oligopeptide-1, Sh-Oligopeptide-2, Sh-Polypeptide-1, Sh-Polypeptide-9, Sh-Polypeptide-11, Copper Palmitoyl Heptapeptide-14, Heptapeptide-15 Palmitate, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Alanine, Arginine, Glycine, Histidine, Isoleucine, Phenylalanine, Proline, Serine, Threonine, Valine, Acetyl Glutamine, Coconut Alkanes, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Aspartic Acid, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Lecithin, Butylene Glycol, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Sodium Lactate, Sodium PCA, PCA, Sorbitan Isostearate, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Polysorbate 60, Lactic Acid/Glycolic Acid Copolymer, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Isomalt, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopherol, Sodium Benzoate, Phenylpropanol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Symphytum Officinale Callus Culture Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantSodium Acrylates Copolymer
Dehydroacetic Acid
PreservativeBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingHyaluronic Acid
HumectantTerminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
AntioxidantSodium Citrate
BufferingSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingPhormium Tenax Extract
Skin ConditioningHibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningLeptospermum Scoparium Branch/Leaf Oil
TonicCyathea Medullaris Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningZingiber Officinale Root Extract
MaskingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientMica
Cosmetic ColorantTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic ColorantCitral
PerfumingCitronellol
PerfumingEugenol
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingWater, Glycerin, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Polysorbate 20, Hyaluronic Acid, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Sodium Citrate, Sclerotium Gum, Phormium Tenax Extract, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Leptospermum Scoparium Branch/Leaf Oil, Cyathea Medullaris Leaf Extract, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Citral, Citronellol, Eugenol, Geraniol, Linalool
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl Caprylate comes from glycerin and caprylic acid. It is an emollient, co-emulsifier, and preservative booster.
Its short C8 fatty acid chain makes it behave differently from its longer-chain emollient cousins like Glyceryl Stearate. It feels more lightweight, fast-absorbing, and silky instead of rich and waxy.
As a co-emulsifier, its "head" and "tail" sit at the oil-water interface. But overall, the short C8 tail and not being water soluble means it doesn't really have the muscle to emulsify a formula on its own. That's why you'll often see it paired with a primary emulsifier like Cetearyl Glucoside.
Interestingly, Glyceryl Caprylate acts as a preservative booster. This is because its fatty-acid backbone disrupts microbial lipid membranes. It shows excellent activity against bacteria and yeast but is weaker against mold.
Typical concentrations range from 0.5-1% and this ingredient is generally non-irritating.
Because this ingredient has a C8 fatty acid chain, it is outside the range that the Malassezia yeast metabolizes (making it fungal acne safe).
Learn more about Glyceryl CaprylatePolysorbate 20 is a gentle, water-soluble emulsifier and mild surfactant. It stops oil and water from separating to keep your formulas blended and stable.
It also acts as a mild penetration enhancer by helping active ingredients absorb slightly better.
The common safety discussion around this ingredient involves a manufacturing byproduct called 1,4-dioxane.
Trace amounts can form during production but the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has concluded that levels at/below 10 ppm in finished products are safe (commercial products consistently fall within acceptable margins).
True allergic reactions are uncommon and the CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.
Because it is derived from lauric acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Polysorbate 20Water. 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