What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Lactobacillus/Panax Ginseng Root Extract Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Menthyl Lactate
Masking
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Dimethicone/Polyglycerin-3 Crosspolymer
Cleansing
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Glyceryl Polyacrylate
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantSodium Citrate
Buffering1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Caffeine, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Lactobacillus/Panax Ginseng Root Extract Ferment Filtrate, Tocopherol, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Menthyl Lactate, Stearic Acid, Dimethicone/Polyglycerin-3 Crosspolymer, Sodium Polyacrylate, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Dipropylene Glycol, Sodium Citrate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Rhamnose
HumectantCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Polymethyl Methacrylate
PEG-40 Stearate
Emulsifying
Cera Alba
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sorbitan Tristearate
EmulsifyingTriethanolamine
BufferingCaffeine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Dextran Sulfate
Gel Forming
Myristyl Alcohol
Emollient
Escin
TonicPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Poloxamer 338
EmulsifyingAscorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Water, Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Glycerin, Rhamnose, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Polymethyl Methacrylate, PEG-40 Stearate, Cera Alba, Pentylene Glycol, Stearic Acid, Stearyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Tristearate, Triethanolamine, Caffeine, Sodium Dextran Sulfate, Myristyl Alcohol, Escin, Palmitic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Adenosine, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Poloxamer 338, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Caprylyl Glycol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caffeine is a naturally occurring plant compound found in coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa pods, and guarana.
As an antioxidant, caffeine protects your skin from free radical damage caused by UV exposure and envionrmnetal stressors.
Early research also shows that caffeine can help calm redness, soothe irritated skin, and support hair growth by stimulating microcirculation in the scalp.
You might have seen eye creams marketing caffeine as a depuffing ingredient. This is because it is a vasoconstrictor meaning it can temporarily constrict blood vessels, though clinical evidence for this specific use is still limited.
Most skincare products contain this ingredient at concentrations between 1-6%. It is able to penetrate skin easily regardless of skin type or thickness.
Just so you know, a very small number of case reports describe caffeine-induced allergy. This ingredient is generally well-tolerated, non-irritating, and non-sensitizing for the majority of people.
Learn more about CaffeineCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearatePhenoxyethanol 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.
Stearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidTocopheryl 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 Water
