What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Squalane
Emollient
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingCucumis Sativus Fruit Water
Skin ConditioningPolymethylsilsesquioxane
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glyceryl Ether
CleansingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Trisodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
CI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantCI 16035
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Propanediol, Squalane, Caprylyl Methicone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Water, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Potassium Sorbate, Beta-Glucan, Caprylyl Glyceryl Ether, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Trisodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, CI 42090, CI 16035
Water
Skin ConditioningCucumis Sativus Fruit Water
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearates
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Squalane
Emollient
Cellulose
Absorbent
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Caramel
Cosmetic ColorantSodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Baptisia Tinctoria Root Extract
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Beta-Glucan is a soluble polysaccharide (a chain of glucose sugars) sourced from the cells walls of oats, baker's yeast, mushrooms, and seaweed.
It's a rare ingredient that pulls double-duty as a heavy-duty hydrator and skin-soothing repair agent.
On the surface, it acts as a humectant that holds water in place and reduces moisture loss for a plumper, smoother feel, while its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties make it a great pick for calming redness or sensitive skin
The more interesting story is underneath:
Despite its large molecular size, oat beta-glucan has been shown to penetrate the epidermis and reach the dermis by slipping between skin cells. Here, it interacts with fibroblasts and macrophages to nudge collagen synthesis and support wound repair.
A small 2005 split-face clinical study of 27 subjects found topical beta-glucan produced measurable reductions in wrinkle depth, height, and roughness after 8 weeks of use.
It is worth noting the trial was small and the penetration testing used frozen, irradiated skin so the anti-aging data is encouraging rather than definitive.
This ingredient gets along with pretty much everything and is typically used around 0.1-1%.
Fungal acne: This ingredient is not a food source for the Malassezia yeast because it is a glucose polysaccharide with no fatty acid or ester component.
Learn more about Beta-GlucanCucumis Sativus Fruit Water is the water (or juice) pressed from cucumber. It has skin conditioning properties that offers gentle hydration.
Cucumbers are about 95% water. The other 5% has some pretty nice things for skin like vitamin C, caffeic acid, and flavonoids that all have antioxidant activity.
A 2011 study found that cucumber fruit juice can fight free radicals and help protect two proteins that keep skin firm and plump (hyaluronic acid and elastin). This is why it's sometimes considered a potential anti-wrinkle ingredient.
Since this ingredient is usually used at low concentrations (up to 3%), it acts more as a soothing and skin conditioning ingredient than a powerhouse active.
Learn more about Cucumis Sativus Fruit WaterGlycerin (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 GlycerinLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate is a natural preservative. It comes from fermenting radish roots with a bacteria called leuconostoc. The trade name for this ingredient is Leucidal.
Leuconostoc comes from lactic acid.
This ingredient has antimicrobial properties and helps prevent the growth of bacteria in a product.
Leuconostoc is used to make the traditional Korean side-dish, kimchi. It is also used to make sourdough bread (both incredibly yummy foods).
Learn more about Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment FiltrateSqualane 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
