What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientDisodium EDTA
Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningMadecassoside
Antioxidant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Squalane, Panthenol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearic Acid, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Caprylate, Disodium EDTA, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Madecassoside, Butylene Glycol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Erythritol
Humectant
Trehalose
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
PEG/PPG-17/4 Dimethyl Ether
Skin ConditioningPEG-60 Glyceryl Isostearate
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
PEG-5 Glyceryl Stearate
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientBehenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Theanine
EmollientDimethylacrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Crosspolymer
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingBatyl Alcohol
EmollientHydrogenated Palm Oil
Emollient
Elaeis Guineensis Kernel Oil
Emollient
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Elaeis Guineensis Oil
Emollient
Sodium Metaphosphate
BufferingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingPhytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Skin ConditioningSodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Saccharomyces Ferment Lysate Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
PEG/PPG-14/7 Dimethyl Ether
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Dimethicone, Tranexamic Acid, Erythritol, Trehalose, Xylitol, PEG/PPG-17/4 Dimethyl Ether, PEG-60 Glyceryl Isostearate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, PEG-5 Glyceryl Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Behenyl Alcohol, Theanine, Dimethylacrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Batyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Palm Oil, Elaeis Guineensis Kernel Oil, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Elaeis Guineensis Oil, Sodium Metaphosphate, Potassium Hydroxide, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Sodium Metabisulfite, Saccharomyces Ferment Lysate Filtrate, PEG/PPG-14/7 Dimethyl Ether, Tocopherol, Citric Acid
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 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 GlycerinPentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate is an emollient that helps make your skin smooth and hydrated. It specializes in creating a non-oily and "wet" feeling on skin.
This ingredient comes from isostearic acid, a saturated fatty acid. It is a synthetic ingredient.
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 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
