What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSqualane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientJojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
Squalene
Emollient
Phytosteryl Macadamiate
Skin Conditioning
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Squalane, Glycerin, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Jojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Butylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Saccharide Isomerate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Bisabolol, Allantoin, Ceramide Ng, Squalene, Phytosteryl Macadamiate, Phytosterols, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate
Emulsifying
Brassica Campestris Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Polygonum Tinctorium Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dipotassium Phosphate
BufferingRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Water, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Niacinamide, Panthenol, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Stearyl Alcohol, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Squalane, Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate, Brassica Campestris Seed Oil, Lactobacillus Ferment, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Ceramide NP, Potassium Sorbate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Polygonum Tinctorium Leaf Extract, Cetyl Alcohol, Dipotassium Phosphate, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Alcohol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinSqualane 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
