What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%
UV Absorber
Homosalate 5%
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%
UV Absorber
Octocrylene 7%
UV Absorber
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Hydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol
Skin ConditioningSilica
Abrasive
PEG-100 Stearate
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Euphorbia Cerifera Wax
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Linalool
Perfuming
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingJasminum Officinale Flower Extract
Masking
Citronellol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Citric Acid
Buffering
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%, Homosalate 5%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%, Octocrylene 7%, Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol, Silica, PEG-100 Stearate, Propylene Glycol, Euphorbia Cerifera Wax, Phenoxyethanol, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Stearic Acid, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Cetyl Alcohol, Palmitic Acid, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Parfum, Disodium EDTA, Tocopherol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Adenosine, Linalool, Sodium Hydroxide, Jasminum Officinale Flower Extract, Citronellol, Geraniol, Citral, Benzyl Alcohol, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Lauroyl Lysine
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Undecane
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Arginine
Masking
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Tridecane
Perfuming
Mel Extract
MoisturisingMica
Cosmetic ColorantPanax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Cera Alba
Emollient
Capryloyl Glycine
CleansingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSalicylic Acid
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Cedrus Atlantica Bark Oil
Masking
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Caramel
Cosmetic ColorantCananga Odorata Flower Oil
Masking
Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Bulnesia Sarmientoi Wood Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Farnesol
Perfuming
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, Dicaprylyl Ether, Glyceryl Stearate, Lauroyl Lysine, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Undecane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Arginine, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Tridecane, Mel Extract, Mica, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Cera Alba, Capryloyl Glycine, Tocopherol, Citric Acid, Sclerotium Gum, Xanthan Gum, Salicylic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Cedrus Atlantica Bark Oil, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Glycine Soja Oil, Adenosine, Caramel, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Bulnesia Sarmientoi Wood Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Limonene, Benzyl Benzoate, Farnesol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Adenosine is in every living organism. It is one of four components in nucleic acids that helps store our DNA.
Adenosine has many benefits when used. These benefits include hydrating the skin, smoothing skin, and reducing wrinkles. Once applied, adenosine increases collagen production. It also helps with improving firmness and tissue repair.
Studies have found adenosine may also help with wound healing.
In skincare products, Adenosine is usually derived from yeast.
Learn more about AdenosineCitric 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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateTocopherol 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
