What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningC13-15 Alkane
SolventPropanediol
SolventDiisostearyl Malate
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingSynthetic Fluorphlogopite
Glycerin
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCaffeine
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables
EmollientCoffea Arabica Seed Extract
MaskingAllantoin
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantNiacinamide
SmoothingHydrogenated Rapeseed Oil
EmollientFucus Vesiculosus Extract
EmollientPolymethyl Methacrylate
Cetearyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingVaccinium Macrocarpon Seed Oil
Skin ConditioningOctyldodecanol
EmollientHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPanax Quinquefolius Root Extract
AstringentHaematococcus Pluvialis Extract
AntioxidantAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingLecithin
EmollientBehenyl Alcohol
EmollientArachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine
HumectantArachidyl Alcohol
EmollientSodium Phytate
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingSorbitan Isostearate
EmulsifyingMalic Acid
BufferingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientTin Oxide
AbrasiveGlucose
HumectantAstaxanthin
Skin ConditioningMica
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantWater, C13-15 Alkane, Propanediol, Diisostearyl Malate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caffeine, Cetearyl Alcohol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables, Coffea Arabica Seed Extract, Allantoin, Tocopherol, Niacinamide, Hydrogenated Rapeseed Oil, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Seed Oil, Octyldodecanol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Panax Quinquefolius Root Extract, Haematococcus Pluvialis Extract, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Lecithin, Behenyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Glucoside, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Hydroxide, Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine, Arachidyl Alcohol, Sodium Phytate, Hexylene Glycol, Sorbitan Isostearate, Malic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Tin Oxide, Glucose, Astaxanthin, Mica, CI 77891, CI 77492
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantMaris Aqua
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantNiacinamide
SmoothingPolysilicone-11
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingMica
Cosmetic ColorantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingCaffeine
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientChrysanthemum Parthenium Extract
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
BufferingCoffea Arabica Seed Extract
MaskingCorallina Officinalis Extract
Skin ConditioningCucurbita Pepo Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningGigartina Stellata/Kappaphycus Alvarezii Extract
Skin ProtectingGlyceryl Polyacrylate
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
BleachingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingHydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientHydrogenated Polydicyclopentadiene
Hydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingLaureth-8
EmulsifyingLecithin
EmollientLinoleic Acid
CleansingOleic Acid
EmollientPalmitic Acid
EmollientPhytosteryl Canola Glycerides
Skin ConditioningPhytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 60
EmulsifyingSilica
AbrasiveSodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
AntioxidantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantSorbitan Isostearate
EmulsifyingSqualane
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingTocopherol
AntioxidantTriolein
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativePotassium Sorbate
PreservativeSodium Benzoate
MaskingCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Maris Aqua, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Polysilicone-11, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Mica, Panthenol, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Caffeine, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract, Citric Acid, Coffea Arabica Seed Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Cucurbita Pepo Seed Extract, Gigartina Stellata/Kappaphycus Alvarezii Extract, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Hexylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Hydrogenated Polydicyclopentadiene, Hydroxyacetophenone, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Laureth-8, Lecithin, Linoleic Acid, Oleic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Phytosteryl Canola Glycerides, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Polysorbate 60, Silica, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Squalane, Stearic Acid, Tocopherol, Triolein, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, CI 77491, CI 77891
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caffeine is most associated with coffee, tea, and cacao. In skincare, it helps with calming inflammation and is rich in antioxidants.
While caffeine is used to treat cellulite and and dark circles, further studies are needed to prove this. It has been believed to help with these skin conditions due to its ability to dilate blood vessels and increase blood flow.
Some studies are looking into caffeine's ability to protect against UV rays.
Learn more about CaffeineThis ingredient is an emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.
It helps thicken a product's formula and makes it easier to spread by dissolving clumping compounds.
Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.
It is a common ingredient in many products, especially those designed to hydrate skin. The primary benefits are retaining moisture, skin softening, and promoting a healthy skin barrier.
Though Caprylyl Glycol is an alcohol derived from fatty acids, it is not the kind that can dry out skin.
This ingredient is also used as a preservative to extend the life of products. It has slight antimicrobial properties.
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCi 77891 is a white pigment from Titanium dioxide. It is naturally found in minerals such as rutile and ilmenite.
It's main function is to add a white color to cosmetics. It can also be mixed with other colors to create different shades.
Ci 77891 is commonly found in sunscreens due to its ability to block UV rays.
Learn more about CI 77891This ingredient is more commonly known as the coffee bean from the Coffea Arabica tree. Besides being a delicious drink, coffee beans have a ton of skin benefits.
Coffea Arabica Seed Extract (CASE) has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and UV-protective properties. (It should not replace your sunscreen!)
CASE contains several ingredients that protect and soothe skin. These include caffeine, polysaccharides, sucrose, lipids, minerals, and proteins.
The star ingredient in coffee is caffeine.
Caffeine helps with anti-aging, antioxidant, and photo-protection.
How? It has been shown to block collagenase (~41%), elastase (~35%), and tyrosinase (~13%).
Collagenase and elastase are enzymes that break down collagen and elastin, respectively. Tyrosinase is the enzyme that controls melanin production.
Our skin creates melanin when exposed to UV as a defense mechanism.
It should be noted most studies looked at caffeine's ability to inhibit damage from UV-B rays.
According to a manufacturer, this ingredient is often dissolved using water, glycerin, and propanediol. The caffeine content of this ingredient is about 100 ppm.
Coffea Arabica is native to Ethiopia.
Learn more about Coffea Arabica Seed ExtractGlycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.
As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.
Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.
Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.
In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.
This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinHexylene Glycol is a surfactant. Glycols are a class of alcohols. Hexylene Glycol is a surfactant and emulsifier.
As a surfactant, Hexylene Glycol helps gather dirt and oil on your skin to be washed away.
As an emulsifier, Hexylene Glycol helps keep water and oil together. This prevents them from separating in a product. Hexylene Glycol also thins out the texture of a product by lessening viscosity.
Hexylene Glycol has a small molecular weight.
Learn more about Hexylene GlycolThis is a synthetic polymer. It helps improve the texture of products by adding thickness and gel-like feel.
It is also an emulsifer, meaning it prevents ingredients such as oil and water from separating. It also helps evenly disperse other ingredients.
Lecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of mixture of phospholipids.
This ingredient has emollient and emulsifying properties.
As an emollient, lecithen helps soften the skin and creates a barrier to keep moisture in.
As an emulsifier, it also helps prevent water and oil ingredients from separating. Lecithin can also help ingredients be better absorbed by the skin.
This is because the phospholipids in lecithin produce liposomes. Liposomes help other ingredients get through the skin barrier.
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 feeds fungal acne.
We recommend reaching out to the brand you are purchasing from to inquire about the source of their lecithin.
Some other names for this ingredient include soy lecithin and deoiled soy lecithin.
Learn more about LecithinMica is a naturally occurring mineral used to add shimmer and color in cosmetics. It can also help improve the texture of a product or give it an opaque, white/silver color.
Serecite is the name for very fine but ragged grains of mica.
This ingredient is often coated with metal oxides like titanium dioxide. Trace amounts of heavy metals may be found in mica, but these metals are not harmful in our personal products.
Mica has been used since prehistoric times throughout the world. Ancient Egyptian, Indian, Greek, Roman, Aztec, and Chinese civilizations have used mica.
Learn more about MicaNiacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.
And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.
You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.
In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.
If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.
When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.
In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).
Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.
Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.
The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.
Learn more about NiacinamideSorbitan Isostearate is an emulsifer and cleaning agent. It is created from isostearic acid and sorbitol.
As an emulsifier, Sorbitan Isostearate prevents oils and water from separating.
Due to its isostearic acid base, it may not be safe for Malassezia or fungal acne.
Learn more about Sorbitan IsostearateTocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
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. 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