What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningOctocrylene
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid
UV Absorber
Arginine
Masking
Dimethicone
Emollient
Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
Phenethyl Benzoate
Emollient
Silica
Abrasive
Tris-Biphenyl Triazine
UV Absorber
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer
Polypodium Leucotomos Leaf Extract
Skin Protecting
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Physalis Angulata Extract
Skin ProtectingPlankton Extract
Skin ConditioningMelanin
Skin ProtectingOxothiazolidine
Skin ProtectingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Trehalose
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Serine
Masking
Pullulan
Algin
Masking
C20-22 Alkyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingPhenylpropanol
Masking
C20-22 Alcohols
Emulsion Stabilising
Vp/Acrylates/Lauryl Methacrylate Copolymer
Sodium Acrylates Crosspolymer-2
AbsorbentAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Methicone
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Disodium Phosphate
BufferingGlyceryl Polyacrylate
Disodium EDTA
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Potassium Phosphate
BufferingLecithin
Emollient
BHT
Antioxidant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Linalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Water, Octocrylene, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Butylene Glycol, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, Arginine, Dimethicone, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Phenethyl Benzoate, Silica, Tris-Biphenyl Triazine, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Polypodium Leucotomos Leaf Extract, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Physalis Angulata Extract, Plankton Extract, Melanin, Oxothiazolidine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycerin, Trehalose, Urea, Serine, Pullulan, Algin, C20-22 Alkyl Phosphate, Phenylpropanol, C20-22 Alcohols, Vp/Acrylates/Lauryl Methacrylate Copolymer, Sodium Acrylates Crosspolymer-2, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Propylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Propanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Methicone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Disodium Phosphate, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Disodium EDTA, Tocopheryl Acetate, Potassium Phosphate, Lecithin, BHT, Sodium Benzoate, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Linalool, Limonene
Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol
UV Filter
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialDibutyl Adipate
EmollientDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingGlycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Triethanolamine
BufferingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Lecithin
Emollient
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBHT
Antioxidant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Dibutyl Adipate, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Pentylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Alcohol, Cetyl Phosphate, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Triethanolamine, Panthenol, Tocopherol, Lecithin, Decyl Glucoside, Carbomer, Propylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, BHT, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
BHT is a synthetic antioxidant and preservative.
As an antioxidant, it helps your body fight off free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells.
As a preservative, it is used to stabilize products and prevent them from degrading. Specifically, BHT prevents degradation from oxidation.
The concerns related to BHT come from oral studies; this ingredient is currently allowed for use by both the FDA and EU.
However, it was recently restricted for use in the UK as of April 2024.
Learn more about BHTDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeGlycerin (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 GlycerinLecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
Depending on the source of this ingredient, lecithin may not be fungal acne safe. This is because some sources of lecithin come from soybean oil, which may feed the malassezia yeast that causes fungal acne.
We recommend reaching out to the brand you are purchasing from to inquire about the source of their lecithin.
Learn more about LecithinPentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPropylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolTocopherol 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 Tocopherol
