What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientPentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Polymethyl Methacrylate
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
PEG-100 Stearate
Copernicia Cerifera Cera
Emollient
Pentaerythrityl Distearate
Emulsifying
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Polyacrylate-13
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-10 Pentastearate
Skin Conditioning
Polyisobutene
Parfum
Masking
Propanediol
Solvent
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientSodium Stearoyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Dextrin
AbsorbentTheobroma Cacao Extract
Skin ConditioningBeta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Artemisia Vulgaris Extract
Skin Conditioning
Houttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract
AstringentPrunella Vulgaris Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningLonicera Japonica Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningZanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningTaraxacum Officinale Rhizome/Root Extract
Skin ConditioningGanoderma Lucidum Extract
Skin Protecting
Glucose
Humectant
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Arachidic Acid
Cleansing
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sparassis Crispa Extract
Emulsion StabilisingWater, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Niacinamide, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, Cyclohexasiloxane, Squalane, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, 1,2-Hexanediol, Stearic Acid, PEG-100 Stearate, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Pentaerythrityl Distearate, Palmitic Acid, Polyacrylate-13, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Behenyl Alcohol, Caffeine, Cetearyl Glucoside, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Polyglyceryl-10 Pentastearate, Polyisobutene, Parfum, Propanediol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Adenosine, Polysorbate 20, Sorbitan Isostearate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Dextrin, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Beta-Glucan, Caprylyl Glycol, Artemisia Vulgaris Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract, Prunella Vulgaris Leaf Extract, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract, Taraxacum Officinale Rhizome/Root Extract, Ganoderma Lucidum Extract, Glucose, Myristic Acid, Arachidic Acid, Tocopherol, Sparassis Crispa Extract
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate is an emollient ester. It comes from cetearyl alcohol and 2-ethylhexanoic acid.
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate is an emollient that adds a velvety feel to skin without being greasy or oily. Emollients help trap moisture into your skin, keeping your skin soft and hydrated.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumTocopherol 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
