What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
Emollient
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glycine Soja Germ Extract
EmollientTocopherol
Antioxidant
Glycyrrhetinic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Pantolactone
Humectant
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Distarch Phosphate
AbsorbentXanthan Gum
Emulsifying1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Trisodium EDTA
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Isopropyl Palmitate, Panthenol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Octyldodecanol, Stearyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycine Soja Germ Extract, Tocopherol, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Pantolactone, Behenyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Distarch Phosphate, Xanthan Gum, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Trisodium EDTA, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate
EmollientDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Copernicia Cerifera Wax
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Propylheptyl Caprylate
EmollientTapioca Starch
Glycine Soja Germ Extract
EmollientGlycyrrhetinic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Silica Dimethyl Silylate
EmollientDisodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Alcohol Denat., Glycerin, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Behenyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Glyceryl Stearate, Propylheptyl Caprylate, Tapioca Starch, Glycine Soja Germ Extract, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Phenoxyethanol, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Behenyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol (these are different from the drying, solvent alcohols).
Fatty Alcohols have hydrating properties and are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product. They are usually derived from natural fats and oils; behenyl alcohol is derived from the fats of vegetable oils.
Emollients help keep your skin soft and hydrated by creating a film that traps moisture in.
In 2000, Behenyl Alcohol was approved by the US as medicine to reduce the duration of cold sores.
Learn more about Behenyl 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 GlycerinWe don't have a description for Glycine Soja Germ Extract yet.
Glycyrrhetinic acid is a compound found in licorice. It has skin conditioning, skin soothing, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties.
Not only is this a great ingredient for soothing inflammation, studies show this compound is effective at protecting skin against UV-B induced damage.
Fun fact: This ingredient is also used to mask the bitter taste of medicine.
Learn more about Glycyrrhetinic AcidHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate is a modified starch used to help thicken a product.
It is also used in foods.
Phenoxyethanol 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.
Sodium 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 HyaluronateTocopherol 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
