What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Lecithin
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Retinal
Skin Conditioning
Sucrose Laurate
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus/Collagen/Mesembryanthemum Crystallinum Leaf Extract Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Trehalose
Humectant
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Arginine
Masking
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Betaine Salicylate
Antimicrobial
Polyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Epigallocatechin Gallate
Antioxidant
BHT
Antioxidant
BHA
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Coenochloris Signiensis Extract
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingC13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Poloxamer 235
EmulsifyingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Disodium EDTA
C11-15-Isoalkanes
Perfuming
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingTrideceth-6
EmulsifyingLecithin
Emollient
Polyacrylamide
Water, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Olivate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Lactobacillus/Collagen/Mesembryanthemum Crystallinum Leaf Extract Ferment Lysate, Sorbitan Olivate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Bakuchiol, Trehalose, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Panthenol, Allantoin, Tocopherol, Arginine, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Betaine Salicylate, Polyglutamic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Retinol, Sodium Ascorbate, Epigallocatechin Gallate, BHT, BHA, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Coenochloris Signiensis Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Maltodextrin, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Chlorphenesin, Carbomer, Tromethamine, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Poloxamer 235, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polysorbate 20, Disodium EDTA, C11-15-Isoalkanes, Laureth-7, Trideceth-6, Lecithin, Polyacrylamide
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolThis ingredient is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.
It helps thicken a product's formula and makes it easier to spread by dissolving clumping compounds.
Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid. Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. 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. Be sure to 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.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideGlycerin (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 GlycerinLecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
Depending on the source of this ingredient, lecithin may not be fungal acne safe. This is because some sources of lecithin come from soybean oil, which may feed the malassezia yeast that causes fungal acne.
We recommend reaching out to the brand you are purchasing from to inquire about the source of their lecithin.
Learn more about LecithinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Water. 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
