What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Diisooctyl Succinate
Emollient
Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Diisopropyl Dimer Dilinoleate
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Ethylhexyl Olivate
EmollientHydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Sorbitan Palmitate
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Piperonyl Glucoside
Skin ProtectingGlycerin
Humectant
Lecithin
Emollient
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Carnitine
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Extract
Emulsion StabilisingGeranium Maculatum Extract
TonicEquisetum Arvense Extract
AstringentHamamelis Virginiana Bark/Leaf/Twig Extract
Skin Conditioning
Taraxacum Officinale Extract
Skin ConditioningPropolis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialHelianthus Annuus Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Extract
Abrasive
Tamarindus Indica Seed Polysaccharide
Skin ConditioningLavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract
Perfuming
Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningWater, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Diisooctyl Succinate, Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter, Diisopropyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Propanediol, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Ethylhexyl Olivate, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Palmitate, Sorbitan Palmitate, Sorbitan Oleate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Piperonyl Glucoside, Glycerin, Lecithin, Caffeine, Palmitoyl Carnitine, Hydrolyzed Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Extract, Geranium Maculatum Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Bark/Leaf/Twig Extract, Taraxacum Officinale Extract, Propolis Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract, Tocopherol, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Extract, Tamarindus Indica Seed Polysaccharide, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Citric Acid, Sclerotium Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientVinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer
Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables
Emollient
Myristyl Myristate
Emollient
Allyl Methacrylates Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Capryloyl Glycine
CleansingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Silica Silylate
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Argilla
Abrasive
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAlcohol
Antimicrobial
BHT
Antioxidant
Sodium Citrate
BufferingMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Glaucine
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Linalool
Perfuming
Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate
Skin ConditioningMagnesium Chloride
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Propyl Gallate
Antioxidant
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicCeramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables, Myristyl Myristate, Allyl Methacrylates Crosspolymer, Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Capryloyl Glycine, Caprylyl Glycol, Silica Silylate, Pentylene Glycol, Stearic Acid, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Palmitic Acid, Retinol, Polysorbate 20, Coco-Glucoside, Argilla, Xanthan Gum, Alcohol, BHT, Sodium Citrate, Myristic Acid, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Mentha Piperita Oil, Glaucine, Citric Acid, Linalool, Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate, Magnesium Chloride, Tocopherol, Propyl Gallate, Biotin, Ceramide AP
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCitric 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 GlycerinLavandula Angustifolia Oil is more commonly known as lavender essential oil. It is considered a fragrancing ingredient.
Lavender imparts a famous scent. While the smell is lovely, this ingredient and may sensitize skin in topical products. This is because about 85% of the oil is made up of linalool and linalyl acetate.
When exposed to air, these two compounds become strong allergens. This ingredient exhibits cytotoxicity at low concentrations; amounts of 0.25% have been shown to damage skin cells.
A study from Japan found this ingredient caused lavender sensitivity after widespread exposure.
Lavender essential oil has some antimicrobial, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the cons of this ingredient may outweight the pros.
More research is needed to confirm lavender essential oil's effects when used in aromatherapy.
Lavandula Angustifolia is known as the English Lavender and famous for creating purple fields in Provence, France.
Learn more about Lavandula Angustifolia OilTocopherol 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 Water
