What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Nigella Sativa Seed Oil
Emollient
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Mangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Sea Water
HumectantPullulan
Coffea Robusta Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Lentinus Edodes Extract
Skin ConditioningPanax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Astragalus Membranaceus Root Extract
Emollient
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Piper Nigrum Fruit Extract
Perfuming
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Zanthoxylum Bungeanum Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningBeta Vulgaris Root Extract
Skin ConditioningBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingSqualane
Emollient
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
ChelatingVanillyl Butyl Ether
MaskingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientCoffea Arabica Husk Extract
Antioxidant
Dextrin
AbsorbentOctyldodecanol
Emollient
Inulin
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Glycol
HumectantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHydrolyzed Rhodophyceae Extract
Hexapeptide-11
Skin Conditioning
Iron Oxides
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Nigella Sativa Seed Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Sea Water, Pullulan, Coffea Robusta Seed Extract, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Lentinus Edodes Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Astragalus Membranaceus Root Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Piper Nigrum Fruit Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Zanthoxylum Bungeanum Fruit Extract, Beta Vulgaris Root Extract, Benzyl Alcohol, Salicylic Acid, Sorbic Acid, Parfum, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Squalane, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Vanillyl Butyl Ether, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Coffea Arabica Husk Extract, Dextrin, Octyldodecanol, Inulin, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Hydrolyzed Rhodophyceae Extract, Hexapeptide-11, Iron Oxides
Water
Skin ConditioningIsoamyl Laurate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Squalane
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Mandelic Acid
Antimicrobial
Maltobionic Acid
Buffering
Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate
Skin Conditioning
Cichorium Intybus Root Extract
MaskingCitrus Junos Peel Oil
Astringent
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Copper Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSucrose Stearate
EmollientAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Behenic Acid
Cleansing
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
ChelatingGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientPolyglyceryl-6 Behenate
Emulsion Stabilising
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Ectoin
Skin Conditioning
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantTin Oxide
Abrasive
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Indigofera Tinctoria Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningWater, Isoamyl Laurate, Glycerin, Propanediol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Squalane, Niacinamide, Mandelic Acid, Maltobionic Acid, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Cichorium Intybus Root Extract, Citrus Junos Peel Oil, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Hyaluronate, Copper Tripeptide-1, Chondrus Crispus Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Sucrose Stearate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Behenic Acid, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Glyceryl Caprylate, Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate, Lactic Acid, Ectoin, Mica, Tin Oxide, Titanium Dioxide, Indigofera Tinctoria Leaf Extract
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 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 CaprylateSodium 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 HyaluronateSqualane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).
It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.
This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.
Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.
Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.
No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).
Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.
This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.
Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.
Read more about squalene with an "e".
Though squalane is often called an oil, it’s technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.
The term “oil-free” isn’t regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.
Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.
A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.
The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.
Learn more about SqualaneWater. 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
