What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantButylene Glycol
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Glycereth-26
Humectant
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Tromethamine
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSynthetic Fluorphlogopite
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingErythritol
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Hibiscus Esculentus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningTin Oxide
Abrasive
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
CI 16035
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Dipropylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Glycerin, Glycereth-26, Hydroxyacetophenone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Tocopherol, Tromethamine, Carbomer, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Erythritol, Disodium EDTA, Hibiscus Esculentus Fruit Extract, Tin Oxide, Titanium Dioxide, CI 16035
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantDimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Bis-Ethoxydiglycol Cyclohexane 1,4-Dicarboxylate
EmollientDiglycerin
Humectant
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantCyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningBeta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract
Astringent
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Cetearyl Olivate
Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Sodium Phytate
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Tromethamine
BufferingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Tin Oxide
Abrasive
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Acrylates Copolymer
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Dipropylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Bis-Ethoxydiglycol Cyclohexane 1,4-Dicarboxylate, Diglycerin, Mica, Cyanocobalamin, Beta-Glucan, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ceramide NP, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Adenosine, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Tocopherol, Cetearyl Olivate, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Phytate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polysorbate 60, Caprylyl Glycol, Sorbitan Oleate, Tromethamine, Butylene Glycol, Tin Oxide, Potassium Sorbate, Sorbic Acid, Acrylates Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, CI 77891
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolDipropylene Glycol is a synthetically created humectant, stabilizer, and solvent.
This ingredient helps:
Dipropylene glycol is technically an alcohol, but it belongs to the glycol family (often considered part of the ‘good’ alcohols). This means it is hydrating and gentle on skin unlike drying solvent alcohols like denatured alcohol.
As a masking agent, Dipropylene Glycol can be used to cover the smell of other ingredients. However, it does not have a scent.
Studies show Dipropylene Glycol is considered safe to use in skincare.
Learn more about Dipropylene 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 GlycerinTin Oxide is an inorganic oxide used to add opacity and volume to a product. In nature, it is already found in mineral form. The main ore of tin is an opaque and shiny mineral called casseterite.
Tin Oxide helps remove translucency in a product, or make it more opaque. Besides adding opacity, tin oxide is used for bulking to add volume.
Tocopherol 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 TocopherolTromethamine helps balance the pH and improve the texture of a product. It is synthetically created.
As an emulsifier, Tromethamine prevents oil and water ingredients from separating. This helps stabilize the product and elongate a product's shelf life. Tromethamine also makes a product thicker.
Tromethamine helps balance the pH level of a product. Normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5). The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome. Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.
Oral Tromethanmine is an anti-inflammatory drug but plays the role of masking, adding fragrance, and/or balancing pH in skincare.
1,3-Propanediol, 2-amino-2-(hydroxymethyl)-
Learn more about TromethamineWater. 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
