What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Acetamidoethoxyethanol
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Acrylates Crosspolymer-2
AbsorbentCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Menthyl Lactate
Masking
Resveratrol
Antioxidant
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-50
Skin Conditioning
Heptapeptide-15 Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-52
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Heptapeptide-18
Skin Conditioning
Diamond Powder
Abrasive
Methylglucoside Phosphate
Skin ConditioningCopper Lysinate/Prolinate
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Lactic Acid/Glycolic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningPolyvinyl Alcohol
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Dimethicone
Emollient
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientPhenylpropanol
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Water, Glycerin, Acetamidoethoxyethanol, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Acrylates Crosspolymer-2, Cyclopentasiloxane, Polysorbate 20, 1,2-Hexanediol, Menthyl Lactate, Resveratrol, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-50, Heptapeptide-15 Palmitate, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-52, Palmitoyl Heptapeptide-18, Diamond Powder, Methylglucoside Phosphate, Copper Lysinate/Prolinate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lactic Acid/Glycolic Acid Copolymer, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Xanthan Gum, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethicone, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Hydroxyacetophenone, Glyceryl Caprylate, Phenylpropanol, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Inulin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Carnosine
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingDunaliella Salina Extract
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Tetrapeptide-21
Skin Conditioning
Pentapeptide-18
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Pantolactone
Humectant
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientLactic Acid/Glycolic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningPolyvinyl Alcohol
Phenylpropanol
Masking
Copper Palmitoyl Heptapeptide-14
Skin Conditioning
Heptapeptide-15 Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Inulin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Carnosine, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Dunaliella Salina Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Sodium Benzoate, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Tetrapeptide-21, Pentapeptide-18, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Pantolactone, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Glyceryl Caprylate, Lactic Acid/Glycolic Acid Copolymer, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Phenylpropanol, Copper Palmitoyl Heptapeptide-14, Heptapeptide-15 Palmitate, Potassium Sorbate, Xanthan Gum
Reviews
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 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 CaprylateHeptapeptide-15 Palmitate is a synthetic targeting peptide. It's made up of seven amino acids with a palmitic acid tail attached.
This fatty acid attachment increases the molecule's hydrophobicity, improves stability, reduces enzyme degradation, and enhances its ability to cross the skin's lipid barrier (this is a common challenge for peptides).
As a targeting peptide, it sits on the outer shell of an encapsulated ingredient system and seeks out receptors on collagen and elastin producing cells in skin.
Once it binds, the cell internalizes the capsule and releases the active payload inside; it essentially acts as a GPS guiding ingredients to the right place.
It also mimicks the skin's natural growth factors to support skin firmness by upping production of collagen, elastin, glycosaminoglycans (GAGs).
Most of the evidence for this ingredient comes from manufacturer in vitro data, so independent clinical trials are still limited. However, the underlying mechanism is well-supported by the broader cosmetic peptide literature.
Fungal acne note:
Usually a palmitic acid component can feed Malassezia in unbound form, but here is is covalently bonded to the peptide. This means it is very difficult for Malassezia to access, and therefore very unlikely to cause fungal acne.
This ingredient is a combination of two AHAs, lactic acid and glycolic acid. It has exfoliating properties
Phenoxyethanol 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.
Phenylpropanol is a fragrance.
Polysorbate 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 20We don't have a description for Polyvinyl Alcohol yet.
Sodium 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 HyaluronateWater. 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
