What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
PEG-7 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ozokerite
Emulsion StabilisingSorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Methoxy PEG-22/Dodecyl Glycol Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPEG-45/Dodecyl Glycol Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPEG-2 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingMagnesium Sulfate
BHT
Antioxidant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Paraffinum Liquidum, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Octyldodecanol, PEG-7 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Dimethicone, Glycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract, Ceramide NP, Tocopherol, Ozokerite, Sorbitan Isostearate, Methoxy PEG-22/Dodecyl Glycol Copolymer, PEG-45/Dodecyl Glycol Copolymer, PEG-2 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Magnesium Sulfate, BHT, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate
Water
Skin ConditioningParaffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
PEG-12
HumectantOenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Polyacrylate-13
Aquaphilus Dolomiae Extract
Skin Conditioning
Arginine
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Evening Primrose Oil/Palm Oil Aminopropanediol Esters
Skin Conditioning
Glycine
Buffering
Polyisobutene
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Sodium Acetate
BufferingSorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Paraffinum Liquidum, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, PEG-12, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Polyacrylate-13, Aquaphilus Dolomiae Extract, Arginine, Citric Acid, Evening Primrose Oil/Palm Oil Aminopropanediol Esters, Glycine, Polyisobutene, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Acetate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Tocopherol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinOenothera Biennis Oil is the fixed oil derived from the seeds of the Evening Primrose.
Evening primrose oil is rich in fatty acids. These fatty acids include linoleic (60-85%), oleic (5-12%), palmitic (4-10%), and stearic (2-4%).
The fatty acid composition makes it a great ingredient for soothing and moisturizing skin. However, it may not be Malassezia folliculitis, or fungal acne safe.
Further research is needed on the role of evening primrose in treating eczema.
Evening primrose is native to North America.
Learn more about Oenothera Biennis OilParaffinum Liquidum is a highly-refined cosmetic-grade mineral oil. It is also known as liquid paraffin.
Despite its controversial reputation, the science is pretty clear: it's one of the most well-studied and effective moisturizing ingredients out there.
As an occlusive, it forms a protective layer on the skin that locks in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL). This makes it especially great for compromised skin barriers.
The "it clogs your pores" myth has been around for decades; a study found that industrial-grade mineral oil may be comedogenic but cosmetic-grade mineral oil is not (these two are very, very different).
A 2017 review concluded that cosmetic use of mineral oils and waxes does not present a risk to consumers due to absorption.
Mineral oil got a bad rap from the old rabbit ear studies. When tested on actual human skin, cosmetic-grade mineral oil showed no comedogenic activity. The rating of 0 is a correction of outdated science.
Mineral oil is an inert substance with no fatty acids so there's nothing to feed Malassezia. This ingredient is fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Paraffinum LiquidumSorbitan Isostearate is an emulsifer. It is created from isostearic acid and sorbitol.
As an emulsifier, it keeps the water and oil ingredients from separating. This keeps formulas stable and smooth.
In a 24 hour occlusive patch test on 56 subjects, 10% sorbitan isostearate was completely non-irritating. Most formulas use less than 10%.
Because it's a fatty acid ester, it may not be fungal acne safe since the Malassezia yeast can utilize it as a nutrient source.
Learn more about Sorbitan IsostearateTocopherol 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
