What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin)
EmollientPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPolymethylsilsesquioxane
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingC14-22 Alcohols
Emulsion Stabilising
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientBehenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Tromethamine
BufferingC12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Panthenol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Carbomer, C14-22 Alcohols, Glyceryl Stearate, Arachidyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Behenyl Alcohol, Tromethamine, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Ethylhexylglycerin, Butylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Sorbitan Isostearate, Arachidyl Glucoside, Allantoin, Madecassoside, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Tocopherol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningCoco-Caprylate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-2 Stearate
Emulsifying
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingCocos Nucifera Fruit Extract
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Phytic Acid
Schisandra Chinensis Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ganoderma Lucidum Extract
Skin Protecting
Withania Somnifera Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialOryza Sativa Bran Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Tocotrienols
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate
Skin Conditioning
Geraniol
Perfuming
Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil
Masking
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingRosa Centifolia Flower Extract
Astringent
Fructose
Humectant
Fusanus Spicatus Wood Oil
Masking
Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract
Perfuming
Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningFarnesol
Perfuming
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Coco-Caprylate, Glycerin, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Lactobacillus, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Citric Acid, Sclerotium Gum, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Phytic Acid, Schisandra Chinensis Fruit Extract, Glyceryl Caprylate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ganoderma Lucidum Extract, Withania Somnifera Root Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Tocopherol, Tocotrienols, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Geraniol, Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil, Phenethyl Alcohol, Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract, Fructose, Fusanus Spicatus Wood Oil, Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Farnesol, Potassium Sorbate
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 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 CaprylateGlyceryl Stearate Citrate is a citric acid ester of glyceryl stearate.
It is an emulsifier, emollient, and a surfactant.
Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. It does this by preventing certain ingredients from separating. Common ingredients include oils and water, which do not mix naturally. Emulsifiers have properties that help keep ingredients such as these together.
Emollients help soothe and soften the skin. They do this by creating a protective film on your skin. This barrier helps trap moisture and keeps your skin hydrated. Emollients may be effective at treating dry or itchy skin.
Surfactants help gather oils, dirt, and other pollutants from the skin. This helps them to be easily rinsed away.
Learn more about Glyceryl Stearate CitrateTocopherol 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
