What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCoco-Caprylate
EmollientCocos Nucifera Oil
MaskingGlyceryl Oleate Citrate
EmulsifyingBuglossoides Arvensis Seed Oil
EmollientBellis Perennis Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningHieracium Pilosella Extract
MaskingMica
Cosmetic ColorantSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientPanthenol
Skin ConditioningAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTocopherol
AntioxidantPerilla Ocymoides Seed Oil
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantDisodium EDTA
Sodium Citrate
BufferingCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Benzoate
MaskingMatthiola Longipetala Seed Oil
EmollientSodium Dehydroacetate
PreservativeHydrolyzed Yeast Protein
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Coco-Caprylate, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Glyceryl Oleate Citrate, Buglossoides Arvensis Seed Oil, Bellis Perennis Flower Extract, Hieracium Pilosella Extract, Mica, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Panthenol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Hydroxyacetophenone, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol, Perilla Ocymoides Seed Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Matthiola Longipetala Seed Oil, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Hydrolyzed Yeast Protein
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingGlycerin
HumectantWater
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
EmulsifyingPolysorbate 80
EmulsifyingCetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
EmulsifyingHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeAcrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Copolymer
Mangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin ConditioningSalvia Hispanica Seed Oil
EmollientLactobacillus/Acerola Cherry Ferment
Skin ProtectingLactobacillus/Pumpkin Fruit Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningSaccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Seed Oil
HumectantCandida Bombicola/Glucose/Methyl Rapeseedate Ferment
AntimicrobialSodium Hydroxide
BufferingHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientBeta-Carotene
Skin ConditioningCapsanthin/Capsorubin
Cosmetic ColorantButylene Glycol
HumectantTocopherol
AntioxidantLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
AntimicrobialOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
EmulsifyingAscorbyl Palmitate
AntioxidantRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialAscorbic Acid
AntioxidantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Water, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Polysorbate 80, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Phenoxyethanol, Acrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Copolymer, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil, Lactobacillus/Acerola Cherry Ferment, Lactobacillus/Pumpkin Fruit Ferment Filtrate, Saccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate, Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil, Candida Bombicola/Glucose/Methyl Rapeseedate Ferment, Sodium Hydroxide, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Beta-Carotene, Capsanthin/Capsorubin, Butylene Glycol, Tocopherol, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Ascorbic Acid
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 GlycerinHydroxyacetophenone is antioxidant with skin conditioning and soothing properties. It also boosts the efficiency of preservatives.
Though naturally occuring in Norwegian spruce needles, this ingredient is usually synthetically created.
This ingredient is not irritating or sensitizing. Recent research also suggests it may have skin-brightening effects through tyrosinase inhibition.
Learn more about HydroxyacetophenonePhenoxyethanol 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 HydroxideTocopherol 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