What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Synthetic Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Distarch Phosphate
AbsorbentOctyldodecanol
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Glycine
Buffering
Alanine
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Glyceryl Glucoside, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Isopropyl Palmitate, Synthetic Beeswax, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Distarch Phosphate, Octyldodecanol, Pentylene Glycol, Panthenol, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Niacinamide, Glycine, Alanine, Carbomer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Dimethicone, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientPropylheptyl Caprylate
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Pisum Sativum Extract
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Starch
AbsorbentOryza Sativa Bran Oil
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Carnosine
Skin Conditioning
Ethyl Ferulate
Antioxidant
Ceteareth-20
CleansingCeteareth-12
EmulsifyingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHexyldecanol
Emollient
Hexyldecyl Laurate
EmollientButylene Glycol
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Humulus Lupulus Extract
AntimicrobialRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialBrassica Campestris Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingParfum
Masking
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Lactate
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Pentylene Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Squalane, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Propylheptyl Caprylate, Glyceryl Stearate, Panthenol, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Pisum Sativum Extract, Oryza Sativa Starch, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Sodium Hyaluronate, Carnosine, Ethyl Ferulate, Ceteareth-20, Ceteareth-12, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Palmitate, Xanthan Gum, Hexyldecanol, Hexyldecyl Laurate, Butylene Glycol, Carbomer, Coco-Glucoside, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Humulus Lupulus Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Brassica Campestris Seed Oil, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Parfum, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Lactate, Phenoxyethanol, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholGlycerin (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 GlycerinPanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolPentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPhenoxyethanol 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.
Jojoba oil is one of the most well-studied plant-derived ingredients in cosmetics. It is an emollient with a special structure.
Because it is made up of 97-98% wax esters, it closely mirrors the linear monoesters found in human sebum. This makes it skin compatible, non-greasy, and lightweight.
Unlike other plant oils, jojoba wax doesn't easily penetrate skin. It mostly works in the uppermost layers as an emollient. This just means it forms a light barrier on the skin to help retain moisture.
Formulations with jojoba esters up to 90% reduced transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and increased barrier recovery by 81% (outperforming bisabolol at 47%).
Besides barrier support, the science also suggests jojoba to have anti-inflammatory effects and potential applications for skin infections, aging, and wound healing.
Fun fact: Indigenous cultures have used jojoba as a moisturizer and to help treat burns for centuries.
Due to its fatty acid content, Jojoba oil may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Simmondsia Chinensis Seed OilSodium 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 Water
