What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Betaine
Humectant
Sorbeth-30
EmulsifyingRetinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAminomethyl Propanol
BufferingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Cyclohexane
SolventCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate
Skin Conditioning
PEG-15 Glyceryl Stearate
Emulsifying
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Lecithin
Emollient
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientParfum
Masking
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
BHT
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Tetrasodium EDTA
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Betaine, Sorbeth-30, Retinyl Palmitate, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Seed Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Allantoin, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Carbomer, Aminomethyl Propanol, Panthenol, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cyclohexane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, PEG-15 Glyceryl Stearate, Octyldodecanol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Pentylene Glycol, Lecithin, Isononyl Isononanoate, Parfum, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Hydrogenated Lecithin, BHT, Phenoxyethanol, Tetrasodium EDTA, Benzyl Benzoate
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate
Emollient
Glycereth-26
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate
Emulsion Stabilising
Poloxamer 235
EmulsifyingTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Sodium Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingEpigallocatechin Gallate
Antioxidant
BHT
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
BHA
Antioxidant
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Propylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate, Glycereth-26, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 60, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate, Poloxamer 235, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Retinol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Ascorbate, Sodium Hydroxide, Epigallocatechin Gallate, BHT, Disodium EDTA, BHA
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
BHT is a synthetic antioxidant and preservative.
As an antioxidant, it helps your body fight off free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells.
As a preservative, it is used to stabilize products and prevent them from degrading. Specifically, BHT prevents degradation from oxidation.
The concerns related to BHT come from oral studies; this ingredient is currently allowed for use by both the FDA and EU.
However, it was recently restricted for use in the UK as of April 2024.
Learn more about BHTCaprylic/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 TriglycerideCarbomer 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 CarbomerDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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 HyaluronateTocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. 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
