What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingCetearyl Olivate
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Olivate
EmulsifyingSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientPanax Ginseng Extract
AntioxidantTremella Fuciformis Extract
HumectantSchisandra Chinensis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingSaccharomyces Ferment
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientInulin
Skin ConditioningFructose
HumectantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingNephelium Lappaceum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantNiacinamide
SmoothingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Powder
Cetearyl Alcohol
EmollientBrassica Oleracea Capitata Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCurcuma Longa Root Extract
AntioxidantCaffeine
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus Ferment Lysate
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Olivate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Sorbitan Olivate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Glyceryl Caprylate, Panax Ginseng Extract, Tremella Fuciformis Extract, Schisandra Chinensis Fruit Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Saccharomyces Ferment, Glyceryl Stearate, Inulin, Fructose, Xanthan Gum, Nephelium Lappaceum Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Niacinamide, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Powder, Cetearyl Alcohol, Brassica Oleracea Capitata Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Caffeine, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Pentylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningIsoamyl Laurate
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantPropanediol
SolventDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Squalane
EmollientNiacinamide
SmoothingMandelic Acid
AntimicrobialMaltobionic Acid
BufferingPolyglyceryl-10 Stearate
Skin ConditioningCichorium Intybus Root Extract
MaskingCitrus Junos Peel Oil
AstringentHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantCopper Tripeptide-1
Skin ConditioningChondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSucrose Stearate
EmollientAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningAscorbyl Glucoside
AntioxidantCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningBehenic Acid
CleansingCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientPolyglyceryl-6 Behenate
Emulsion StabilisingLactic Acid
BufferingEctoin
Skin ConditioningMica
Cosmetic ColorantTin Oxide
AbrasiveTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic ColorantIndigofera 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.
Caprylhydroxamic Acid is a chelating agent that helps cosmetics stay fresh, stable, and consistent over time.
Chelating agents help prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This helps prevent unwanted reactions and effects from using the product. It also helps prevent the growth of unwanted microbes in products that contain water.
Caprylhydroxamic Acid is often used with natural antimicrobial products as an alternative to preservatives.
Learn more about Caprylhydroxamic AcidDicaprylyl Carbonate comes from carbonic acid and caprylyl alcohol, a fatty alcohol. It is an emollient and gives skin a velvet feel. The sources of Dicaprylyl Carbonate may be synthetic or from animals.
As an emollient, Dicaprylyl Carbonate creates a film on the skin. This film traps moisture in, 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 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 CaprylateNiacinamide 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 NiacinamideWater. 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