What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Dibutyl Adipate
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Bakuchiol 0.6%
Antimicrobial
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Betaine
Humectant
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Retinyl Palmitate 0.3%
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Retinol 0.1%
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantHydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingPolydextrose
HumectantCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Asiaticoside
Antioxidant
Madecassic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Asiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Ferulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Copper Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Dibutyl Adipate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Bakuchiol 0.6%, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Betaine, Hydroxyacetophenone, Retinyl Palmitate 0.3%, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Tocopherol, Retinol 0.1%, Allantoin, Panthenol, Polysorbate 20, Adenosine, Cetearyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Stearic Acid, Dipropylene Glycol, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Polydextrose, Ceramide NP, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, Asiatic Acid, Ceramide Ns, Cholesterol, Phytosphingosine, Ferulic Acid, Ceramide As, Ceramide AP, Copper Tripeptide-1, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Ceramide EOP
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Isostearyl Isostearate
Emollient
Ethyl Olivate
Emollient
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventGlycerin
Humectant
Triheptanoin
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate
Skin Conditioning
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Polyglycerin-3
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Citrate
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Water, Propylene Glycol, Isostearyl Isostearate, Ethyl Olivate, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Glycerin, Triheptanoin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Squalane, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Bisabolol, Saccharide Isomerate, Jojoba Esters, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Tocopherol, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyglycerin-3, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholGlycerin (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 GlycerinSodium Stearoyl Glutamate is an amino-acid based emulsifier. It is made by combining stearic acid with L-glutamic acid and neutralizing it to a sodium salt.
As an emulsifier, it works mainly as an oil-in-water one and helps keep the oil and water in your formulas blended. It also contributes to a smooth, non-greasy skin feel.
This ingredient is biodegradable and commonly available in natural/COSMOS-certified grades.
Learn more about Sodium Stearoyl GlutamateTocopherol 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
