What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingAzelaic Acid
BufferingDicaprylyl Ether
EmollientGlycolic Acid
BufferingGlycerin
HumectantNylon-12
Glyceryl Stearate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientSodium Hydroxide
BufferingDimethicone
EmollientAcetic Acid
BufferingCeteareth-33
CleansingDisodium EDTA
Parfum
MaskingGlyceryl Laurate
EmollientMyrtus Communis Leaf Extract
PerfumingNiacinamide
SmoothingSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Chloride
MaskingTocopherol
AntioxidantTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Azelaic Acid, Dicaprylyl Ether, Glycolic Acid, Glycerin, Nylon-12, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Hydroxide, Dimethicone, Acetic Acid, Ceteareth-33, Disodium EDTA, Parfum, Glyceryl Laurate, Myrtus Communis Leaf Extract, Niacinamide, Sclerotium Gum, Sodium Chloride, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate
Water
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
AntimicrobialButylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantOctocrylene
UV AbsorberIsopropyl Palmitate
EmollientCetearyl Isononanoate
EmollientDistarch Phosphate
AbsorbentMethylpropanediol
SolventIsobutylamido Thiazolyl Resorcinol
BleachingSodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
AntioxidantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantGlycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantGlucosylrutin
AntioxidantSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientSodium Polyacrylate
AbsorbentDimethicone
EmollientIsoquercitrin
AntioxidantCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Chloride
MaskingTrisodium EDTA
Caprylyl Glycol
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeParfum
MaskingWater, Alcohol Denat., Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Octocrylene, Isopropyl Palmitate, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Distarch Phosphate, Methylpropanediol, Isobutylamido Thiazolyl Resorcinol, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract, Tocopherol, Glucosylrutin, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Dimethicone, Isoquercitrin, Citric Acid, Sodium Chloride, Trisodium EDTA, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeGlycerin (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 Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideTocopherol 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