What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin Conditioning3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Sodium Citrate
BufferingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Colloidal Oatmeal
Absorbent
Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Glycerin
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPolyglyceryl-10 Dioleate
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingTetrasodium EDTA
Water, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Squalane, Sodium Citrate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Colloidal Oatmeal, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate, Xanthan Gum, Polyglyceryl-10 Dioleate, Phenoxyethanol, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Hydroxide, Tetrasodium EDTA
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide
Emulsion Stabilising
Propanediol
Solvent
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Gossypium Herbaceum Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Tridecyl Trimellitate
EmollientBidens Pilosa Extract
HumectantTremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract
Antioxidant
Hibiscus Rosa-Sinensis Flower Extract
HumectantMelia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCorallina Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract
EmollientSolanum Melongena Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCurcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract
TonicOcimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSqualane
Emollient
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Betaine
Humectant
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientGlyceryl Undecylenate
Emollient
Glyceryl Polyacrylate
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Chlorella Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide, Propanediol, Octyldodecanol, Gossypium Herbaceum Seed Oil, Pentylene Glycol, Tridecyl Trimellitate, Bidens Pilosa Extract, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract, Hibiscus Rosa-Sinensis Flower Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Carbomer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Hydroxide, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Squalane, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Ceramide NP, Tocopherol, Dimethicone, Betaine, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Chlorella Ferment, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideSqualane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).
It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.
This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.
Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.
Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.
No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).
Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.
This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.
Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.
Read more about squalene with an "e".
Though squalane is often called an oil, it’s technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.
The term “oil-free” isn’t regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.
Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.
A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.
The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.
Learn more about SqualaneWater. 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
