What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Isononanoate
EmollientNiacinamide
Smoothing
Dimethicone
Emollient
Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Salix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer
Glycerin
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Capryloyl Glycine
CleansingUndecylenoyl Glycine
CleansingCaffeine
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Salicornia Herbacea Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Ethylhexyl Isononanoate, Niacinamide, Dimethicone, Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Sodium Chloride, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Glycerin, Allantoin, Capryloyl Glycine, Undecylenoyl Glycine, Caffeine, Disodium EDTA, Salicornia Herbacea Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetyl-Pg Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide
Skin ConditioningTrisiloxane
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Hydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientPEG-3 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Magnesium Sulfate
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Isostearyl Glyceryl Ether
Skin ConditioningPEG-12 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Succinic Acid
BufferingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingEucalyptus Globulus Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Methylparaben
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Cetyl-Pg Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide, Trisiloxane, Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Polydecene, PEG-3 Dimethicone, Allantoin, Magnesium Sulfate, Butylene Glycol, Isostearyl Glyceryl Ether, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Succinic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Methylparaben
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinButylene 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 GlycolDimethicone 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 GlycerinSodium 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
