What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Ceteareth-25
CleansingCeteareth-20
CleansingSodium PCA
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ceteareth-12
EmulsifyingCetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Dunaliella Salina Extract
Skin ConditioningCopper Palmitoyl Heptapeptide-14
Skin Conditioning
Heptapeptide-15 Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Lactic Acid/Glycolic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningPolyvinyl Alcohol
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPalmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Pantolactone
Humectant
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
N-Prolyl Palmitoyl Tripeptide-56 Acetate
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientPhenylpropanol
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Tetrasodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Panthenol, Glyceryl Stearate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Propylene Glycol, Ceteareth-25, Ceteareth-20, Sodium PCA, Tocopheryl Acetate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Phenoxyethanol, Ceteareth-12, Cetyl Palmitate, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Dunaliella Salina Extract, Copper Palmitoyl Heptapeptide-14, Heptapeptide-15 Palmitate, Lactic Acid/Glycolic Acid Copolymer, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Pantolactone, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, N-Prolyl Palmitoyl Tripeptide-56 Acetate, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Polysorbate 20, Glyceryl Caprylate, Phenylpropanol, Potassium Sorbate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Allantoin, Citric Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinNiacinamide 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 NiacinamideSodium 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 HyaluronateWater. 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
