What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantDimethyl Sulfone
SolventSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientVitis Vinifera Seed Oil
EmollientOpuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil
EmollientHippophae Rhamnoides Oil
EmollientSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantSqualane
EmollientTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantNiacinamide
SmoothingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCaesalpinia Spinosa Gum
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCarrageenan
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
MaskingPanthenol
Skin ConditioningWater, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Dimethyl Sulfone, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil, Hippophae Rhamnoides Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Squalane, Tocopheryl Acetate, Niacinamide, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carrageenan, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Panthenol
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventEthylhexyl Palmitate
EmollientNiacinamide
SmoothingSqualane
EmollientPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantGrifola Frondosa Extract
Skin ConditioningLepidium Meyenii Root Extract
Skin ConditioningLycium Barbarum Fruit Extract
AstringentTheobroma Cacao Extract
Skin ConditioningEuterpe Oleracea Sterols
Skin ConditioningCurcuma Longa Root Oil
PerfumingCordyceps Sinensis Extract
AntioxidantPersea Gratissima Fruit Extract
EmollientPerilla Frutescens Extract
Skin ConditioningAsparagus Racemosus Root Extract
AntimicrobialWithania Somnifera Root Extract
Skin ConditioningRhodiola Rosea Root Extract
EmollientInonotus Obliquus Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
BleachingHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientZingiber Officinale Root Oil
MaskingCymbopogon Schoenanthus Oil
MaskingLinoleic Acid
CleansingOleic Acid
EmollientLinolenic Acid
CleansingLecithin
EmollientLysolecithin
EmulsifyingHydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine
EmulsifyingBeta-Sitosterol
Emulsion StabilisingHydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningPhospholipids
Skin ConditioningSphingolipids
EmollientAdenosine
Skin ConditioningLactic Acid
BufferingTocopherol
AntioxidantPalmitoyl Tripeptide-28
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Acrylates Copolymer
Phytic Acid
Citric Acid
BufferingCyclodextrin
AbsorbentMaltodextrin
AbsorbentPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeSodium Benzoate
MaskingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeWater, Propanediol, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Niacinamide, Squalane, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Glycerin, Grifola Frondosa Extract, Lepidium Meyenii Root Extract, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Euterpe Oleracea Sterols, Curcuma Longa Root Oil, Cordyceps Sinensis Extract, Persea Gratissima Fruit Extract, Perilla Frutescens Extract, Asparagus Racemosus Root Extract, Withania Somnifera Root Extract, Rhodiola Rosea Root Extract, Inonotus Obliquus Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Zingiber Officinale Root Oil, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Oil, Linoleic Acid, Oleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Lecithin, Lysolecithin, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, Beta-Sitosterol, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Phospholipids, Sphingolipids, Adenosine, Lactic Acid, Tocopherol, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-28, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Phytic Acid, Citric Acid, Cyclodextrin, Maltodextrin, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ethylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinNiacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.
And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.
You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.
In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.
If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.
When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.
In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).
Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.
Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.
The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.
Learn more about NiacinamidePhenoxyethanol 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.
Squalane 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