What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPerlite
Absorbent
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningLactic Acid
Buffering
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Lauryl Glucoside
CleansingGluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Salix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Althaea Officinalis Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Salvia Sclarea Oil
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCoumarin
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Perlite, Sodium Gluconate, Lactic Acid, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Lauryl Glucoside, Gluconolactone, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Althaea Officinalis Root Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Salvia Sclarea Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Coumarin, Limonene, Geraniol, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningKaolin
Abrasive
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Perlite
Absorbent
Argilla
Abrasive
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCitric Acid
Buffering
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil
Antimicrobial
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningMenthol
Masking
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate
BufferingLeptospermum Petersonii Oil
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Kaolin, Glycerin, Propanediol, Perlite, Argilla, Xanthan Gum, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Decyl Glucoside, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Alcohol Denat., Jojoba Esters, Phenoxyethanol, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Salicylic Acid, Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Menthol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sodium Benzoate, Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate, Leptospermum Petersonii Oil, Tocopherol, CI 77891, CI 77499
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 GlycerinPerlite can be good for oily skin. It can help to reduce large pores.
Sodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Sodium BenzoateTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
