What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningMyristic Acid
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantLauric Acid
CleansingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingPalmitic Acid
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingSorbitan Olivate
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Water
MaskingCoco-Betaine
CleansingSodium Cocoamphoacetate
CleansingLauryl Glucoside
CleansingGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientSodium PCA
HumectantGlycogen
HumectantSodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate
CleansingSodium Cocoyl Glutamate
CleansingXylitylglucoside
HumectantPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningParfum
MaskingButylene Glycol
HumectantAnhydroxylitol
HumectantXylitol
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingGlucose
HumectantSerine
MaskingGlutamic Acid
HumectantPhytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Skin Conditioning3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin ConditioningAspartic Acid
MaskingLeucine
Skin ConditioningMyrciaria Dubia Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningAlanine
MaskingLysine
Skin ConditioningArginine
MaskingTyrosine
MaskingPhenylalanine
MaskingValine
MaskingThreonine
Proline
Skin ConditioningIsoleucine
Skin ConditioningHistidine
HumectantMethionine
Skin ConditioningCysteine
AntioxidantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantWater, Myristic Acid, Glycerin, Lauric Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Sorbitan Olivate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, 1,2-Hexanediol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water, Coco-Betaine, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Lauryl Glucoside, Glyceryl Caprylate, Sodium PCA, Glycogen, Sodium Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Xylitylglucoside, Pentylene Glycol, Parfum, Butylene Glycol, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Glucose, Serine, Glutamic Acid, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Aspartic Acid, Leucine, Myrciaria Dubia Fruit Extract, Ceramide NP, Alanine, Lysine, Arginine, Tyrosine, Phenylalanine, Valine, Threonine, Proline, Isoleucine, Histidine, Methionine, Cysteine, Sodium Hyaluronate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantVitis Vinifera Fruit Water
Skin ConditioningIsostearyl Isostearate
EmollientOctyldodecyl Myristate
EmollientSqualane
EmollientMicrocrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientVitis Vinifera Juice
AntioxidantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantSodium Hydroxide
BufferingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientSodium Phytate
Tocopherol
AntioxidantCitric Acid
BufferingDehydroacetic Acid
PreservativeSodium Carboxymethyl Beta-Glucan
CleansingSodium Benzoate
MaskingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeParfum
MaskingWater, Glycerin, Vitis Vinifera Fruit Water, Isostearyl Isostearate, Octyldodecyl Myristate, Squalane, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Benzyl Alcohol, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Cellulose Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Vitis Vinifera Juice, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Sodium Phytate, Tocopherol, Citric Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Sodium Carboxymethyl Beta-Glucan, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that 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. Just 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 ingredientās final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
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 GlycerinParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of āFRAGRANCEā or āPARFUMā according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateWater. 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