What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAscorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
Antioxidant
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingSqualane
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Zinc Hydrolyzed Hyaluronate
HumectantCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin Conditioning
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Sclerotium Gum, Squalane, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Zinc Hydrolyzed Hyaluronate, Caprylyl Glycol, Tocopherol, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Jojoba Esters, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningTetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventHydrolyzed Eruca Sativa Leaf
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Acetyl Zingerone
Antioxidant
Palmitoyl Glycine
CleansingCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientPlantago Lanceolata Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialDiglucosyl Gallic Acid
Squalane
Emollient
Sodium Carboxymethyl Beta-Glucan
CleansingEuterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract
Ergothioneine
Antioxidant
Punica Granatum Extract
AstringentTocopherol
Antioxidant
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
BufferingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
PPG-12/Smdi Copolymer
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Pentylene Glycol, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Hydrolyzed Eruca Sativa Leaf, Glycerin, Zea Mays Starch, Cetearyl Glucoside, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Acetyl Zingerone, Palmitoyl Glycine, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glyceryl Caprylate, Plantago Lanceolata Leaf Extract, Diglucosyl Gallic Acid, Squalane, Sodium Carboxymethyl Beta-Glucan, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Ergothioneine, Punica Granatum Extract, Tocopherol, Ubiquinone, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Triethanolamine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, PPG-12/Smdi Copolymer, Xanthan Gum
Reviews
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 GlycerinPentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolSqualane 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 SqualaneTocopherol 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 TocopherolTocopheryl Acetate is a stable, shelf-friendly form of vitamin E.
Formulators love it because plain vitamin E oxidizes quickly once it hits air. This acetate version stays stable and resists going off, helping to extend a product's shelf life.
It's actually inactive on its own and works like a slow-release "storage" form; the enzymes in your skin called esterases gradually convert it into active vitamin E over time.
One in vivo study showed 5% of the acetate in the living layer of the epidermis converted to vitamin E after 5 days of application. This study also found the skin gained protection against UV damage even though the conversion was slow and small.
Once converted, vitamin E acts as a skin's main fat-soluble antioxidant that fights free radicals to protect skin from damage.
Topical vitamin E generally boosts the skin's photoprotection, and it reduced UV-damage in animal models.
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.
Overall, it has a pretty solid safety profile and has been found to be non-irritating and non-comedogenic. Allergic reactions may happen but stay rare due to how widely the ingredient gets used.
The concentration will vary depending on the formula; industry data shows 0.1% in baby lotions, 3% in lipsticks, and 5% in foot powders. You can also find this ingredient at 100% in a pure vitamin E oil.
Most leave-on skincare keeps it at the lower end, often between 0.5-1%.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. 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
