What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningOctyldodecanol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Boron Nitride
Absorbent
Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Coconut Alkanes
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Copper Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Leontopodium Alpinum Meristem Cell Culture
Skin ConditioningDipeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Copper Lysinate/Prolinate
Skin ConditioningHesperidin Methyl Chalcone
Antioxidant
Chondrus Crispus
Masking
Mangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil
Emollient
Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Steareth-20
CleansingLecithin
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
N-Hydroxysuccinimide
Skin ConditioningUbiquinone
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Thioctic Acid
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Chrysin
Skin ConditioningSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingMethylglucoside Phosphate
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Water, Octyldodecanol, Glycerin, Boron Nitride, Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment, Coconut Alkanes, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Niacinamide, Copper Tripeptide-1, Leontopodium Alpinum Meristem Cell Culture, Dipeptide-2, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Copper Lysinate/Prolinate, Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone, Chondrus Crispus, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Glycine Soja Oil, Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Steareth-20, Lecithin, Panthenol, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Ubiquinone, Citric Acid, Thioctic Acid, Tocopherol, Chrysin, Sclerotium Gum, Methylglucoside Phosphate, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Chlorphenesin, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Pentylene Glycol
Water
Skin ConditioningOctyldodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Polystyrene Sulfonate
Emulsion StabilisingBehenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydrogenated Vegetable Glycerides
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Diheptyl Succinate
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Steareth-20
CleansingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningMacadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
S-Palmitoylglutathione
Antioxidant
Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil
Emollient
Silica
Abrasive
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingFucus Vesiculosus Extract
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningLinum Usitatissimum Seed Oil
Perfuming
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingLactic Acid
Buffering
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingCryptomeria Japonica Bud Extract
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
CI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Sodium Polystyrene Sulfonate, Behenyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Vegetable Glycerides, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Polysorbate 20, Diheptyl Succinate, Phenoxyethanol, Steareth-20, Butylene Glycol, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, S-Palmitoylglutathione, Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil, Silica, Xanthan Gum, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Lactic Acid, Hexylene Glycol, Cryptomeria Japonica Bud Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Tocopherol, CI 77491, CI 77891
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl 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 GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideSteareth-20 is an emulsifier and solubilizer. It is created from stearyl alcohol with ~20 units of ethylene oxide to give it a strong preference for water.
As an emulsifier, it helps oil-in-water emulsions like lotions, creams, and cleansers stay stable. It also solubilizes small amounts of oil-loving ingredients (like fragrance) into water-based formulas.
You'll likely find this ingredient with steareth-2 (it's oil-loving sister) where the two work together to give products a cushiony feel.
Typical use levels sit at around 1-5% and this ingredient has been found to be non-irritating by the CIR Expert Panel.
Learn more about Steareth-20Tocopherol 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
