What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Arbutin
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningMagnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Linalool
Perfuming
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Echinacea Angustifolia Extract
MoisturisingSodium Ferrocyanide
Water, Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Limonene, Arbutin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Panthenol, Ascorbic Acid, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Linalool, Potassium Sorbate, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Echinacea Angustifolia Extract, Sodium Ferrocyanide
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Isononanoate
EmollientNiacinamide
Smoothing
Dimethicone
Emollient
Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Salix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer
Glycerin
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Capryloyl Glycine
CleansingUndecylenoyl Glycine
CleansingCaffeine
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Salicornia Herbacea Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Ethylhexyl Isononanoate, Niacinamide, Dimethicone, Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Sodium Chloride, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Glycerin, Allantoin, Capryloyl Glycine, Undecylenoyl Glycine, Caffeine, Disodium EDTA, Salicornia Herbacea Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopherol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cyclopentasiloxane (D5) is a lightweight silicone that mostly acts as an emollient and solvent in cosmetics. Its the reason your products feel silky, fast-spreading, and non-greasy.
Since D5 is volatile, it does its thing and then evaporates off the skin quickly.
The safety profile of this ingredient is reassuring; the US CIR Expert Panel concluded D5 is safe as used in cosmetics and Health Canada concluded that D5 is not harmful to human health or the environment as currently used in cosmetics
There's a study that people mention about D5 in a rat study showing tumors. This study is related to long-term inhalation of high D5 levels.
Regulatory bodies have judged this study to be not applicable in topical skincare since skin absorption of D5 is very low and we're not really inhaling huge amounts of D5.
The only restriction for this ingredient is environmental. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) restricted D5 in wash-off cosmetics at or above 0.1% due to their persistence in water.
Learn more about CyclopentasiloxaneDimethicone 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 DimethiconeThis is a silicone-based ingredient that helps create a smooth, silky, "bouncy" texture. It also acts as an emulsifier that prevents ingredients from separating in a formula.
Due to its large molecule size and water-insolubility, this ingredient is unlikely to be absorbed into skin. Irritation and sensitization tests have found reactions to silicones are considered very rare.
You'll likely see this ingredient in leave-on products at concentrations of 0.03%-3%.
Learn more about Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 CrosspolymerGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Chances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateTocopherol 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
