What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Lecithin
Emollient
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
C12-16 Alcohols
EmollientPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Camellia Japonica Seed Oil
Emollient
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Saccharomyces Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Honey
Humectant
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glycine Soja Sterols
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Polyacrylate-13
Polyisobutene
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Ethyl Linalool
Masking
Tetramethyl Acetyloctahydronaphthalenes
Masking
Methyldihydrojasmonate
MaskingDisodium EDTA
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientCI 26100
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Lecithin, Cyclohexasiloxane, Hydrogenated Lecithin, C12-16 Alcohols, Palmitic Acid, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Saccharomyces Ferment, Lactobacillus Ferment, Honey, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Xanthan Gum, Hyaluronic Acid, Beta-Glucan, Behenyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycine Soja Sterols, Tocopherol, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyacrylate-13, Polyisobutene, Polysorbate 20, Sorbitan Isostearate, Adenosine, Benzyl Salicylate, Citral, Ethyl Linalool, Tetramethyl Acetyloctahydronaphthalenes, Methyldihydrojasmonate, Disodium EDTA, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, CI 26100
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantHydrogenated Poly(C6-12 Olefin)
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Diglycerin
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Triethylhexanoin
MaskingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingDisodium EDTA
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBehenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Tranexamic Acid, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-12 Olefin), Glycerin, Diglycerin, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tocopherol, Pentylene Glycol, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Octyldodecanol, Dimethicone, Triethylhexanoin, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Disodium EDTA, Carbomer, Sodium Metabisulfite, Xanthan Gum, Behenyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Behenyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol (these are different from the drying, solvent alcohols).
Fatty Alcohols have hydrating properties and are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product. They are usually derived from natural fats and oils; behenyl alcohol is derived from the fats of vegetable oils.
Emollients help keep your skin soft and hydrated by creating a film that traps moisture in.
In 2000, Behenyl Alcohol was approved by the US as medicine to reduce the duration of cold sores.
Learn more about Behenyl AlcoholDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateTocopherol 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
