What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate 7.5%
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate 3%
UV Absorber
Benzophenone-3 3%
UV Absorber
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cyclomethicone
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Methylpropanediol
SolventAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Cetearyl Isononanoate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPiroctone Olamine
Preservative
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate 7.5%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 3%, Benzophenone-3 3%, Water, Glycerin, Cyclomethicone, Cetyl Alcohol, Methylpropanediol, Alcohol Denat., Cetearyl Isononanoate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Ubiquinone, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Octyldodecanol, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Piroctone Olamine, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Cocoate
Emollient
Methylpropanediol
SolventCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Creatine
Skin Conditioning1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Lanolin Alcohol
Emollient
Tridecyl Stearate
Emollient
Tridecyl Trimellitate
EmollientDipentaerythrityl Hexacaprylate/Hexacaprate
EmulsifyingSodium Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Trisodium EDTA
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Cocoate, Methylpropanediol, Cetyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Stearyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Ubiquinone, Creatine, 1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide, Panthenol, Lanolin Alcohol, Tridecyl Stearate, Tridecyl Trimellitate, Dipentaerythrityl Hexacaprylate/Hexacaprate, Sodium Carbomer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Trisodium EDTA, Limonene, Linalool, Benzyl Alcohol, Citronellol, Geraniol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Benzyl Salicylate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCetyl 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.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinMethylpropanediol is a synthetic solvent and humectant.
As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients, helping to evenly distribute ingredients throughout the product. This ingredient has also been shown to have antimicrobial properties which makes it a preservative booster.
Methylpropanediol is able to add a bit of moisture to the skin. It also helps other ingredients be better absorbed into the skin, such as salicylic acid.
Learn more about MethylpropanediolPanthenol 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 PanthenolPhenoxyethanol 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.
Ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q10) is a molecule already found in our bodies. It is a potent antioxidant and skin-soothing ingredient.
Aging and environmental exposure diminishes our skin's natural ubiquinone levels. This is much like our natural collagen and elastin.
The good news is: studies show applying this ingredient topically replenishes ubiquinone levels in our skin. This also comes with a ton of skin benefits. These benefits include:
Ubiquinone is considered a large molecule and cannot be absorbed into the lower layers of skin. This is why it is believed to be such an effective antioxidant: it protects our skin in the upper layers and prevents damage in the deeper layers.
When used in sunscreen, ubiquinone is shown to increase ingredient stability, increase SPF factor, and add to infrared protection.
Fun fact: ubiquinone is fat-soluble.
Learn more about UbiquinoneWater. 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
