What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Azelaic Acid
Buffering
Propanediol
Solvent
Citrate Buffer
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAzelaoyl Bis-Dipeptide-10
Skin Conditioning
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientSodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Anisate
AntimicrobialPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate, Pentylene Glycol, Azelaic Acid, Propanediol, Citrate Buffer, Xanthan Gum, Azelaoyl Bis-Dipeptide-10, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Sodium Levulinate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Anisate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Dehydroacetate
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Butyloctyl Salicylate
Skin Conditioning
Azelaic Acid
Buffering
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Avena Sativa Kernel Flour
Abrasive
Rosa Canina Seed Oil
Emollient
Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Sodium Anisate
AntimicrobialSodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningSodium Phytate
Water, Propanediol, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Azelaic Acid, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Rosa Canina Seed Oil, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Glyceryl Caprylate, Xanthan Gum, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Sodium Anisate, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Phytate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Azelaic acid is a multitasker ingredient that helps treat acne, pigmentation, and irritation. It is a great option for sensitive skin.
What makes it special?
OTC Azelaic acid is usually available in concentrations from 10-15% and anything over requires a prescription.
Here's what each tier does best:
Unlike other acids, azelaic acid will not make your skin more photosensitive/sun sensitive.
Though this ingredient is naturally occurring in grains like wheat, rye, and barley, it is usually synthetically created for cosmetics to ensure stability and effectiveness.
Learn more about Azelaic 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 GlycerinGlyceryl Caprylate comes from glycerin and caprylic acid. It is an emollient, co-emulsifier, and preservative booster.
Its short C8 fatty acid chain makes it behave differently from its longer-chain emollient cousins like Glyceryl Stearate. It feels more lightweight, fast-absorbing, and silky instead of rich and waxy.
As a co-emulsifier, its "head" and "tail" sit at the oil-water interface. But overall, the short C8 tail and not being water soluble means it doesn't really have the muscle to emulsify a formula on its own. That's why you'll often see it paired with a primary emulsifier like Cetearyl Glucoside.
Interestingly, Glyceryl Caprylate acts as a preservative booster. This is because its fatty-acid backbone disrupts microbial lipid membranes. It shows excellent activity against bacteria and yeast but is weaker against mold.
Typical concentrations range from 0.5-1% and this ingredient is generally non-irritating.
Because this ingredient has a C8 fatty acid chain, it is outside the range that the Malassezia yeast metabolizes (making it fungal acne safe).
Learn more about Glyceryl CaprylatePropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.Â
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolSodium Anisate comes from fennel. It is used as a preservative and to add flavoring.
Sodium Anisate has antimicrobial properties.
Sodium levulinate is the a sodium salt of Levulinic Acid. Oncedissolved in an aqueous solution, the two ingredients become identical. It is usually derived from renewable plant sources like corn starch or sugarcane.
In skincare, it mostly acts as a skin conditioning agent that keeps skin soft and hydrated. It also acts as a preservative booster by inhibiting the growth of mold, yeast, and bacteria.
It's often paired with Sodium Anisate as the two create a broad-spectrum preservative system that is popular in "natural" formulations.
This ingredient is water-soluble.
The CIR Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety has concluded this ingredient to be non-irritated and there are no restrictions for use in EU cosmetics. The FDA also allows this ingredient to be used as a food-grade flavoring agent.
Learn more about Sodium LevulinateWater. 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
