What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSqualane
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientCrambe Abyssinica Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Polysilicone-11
Glycerin
Humectant
Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Actinidia Chinensis Fruit Extract
EmollientParfum
Masking
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Trehalose
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBHT
Antioxidant
Serine
Masking
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Phytate
Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate
Skin ProtectingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Arginine PCA
HumectantLaureth-12
EmulsifyingElaeis Guineensis Oil
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Gossypium Herbaceum Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Silica
Abrasive
Bidens Pilosa Extract
HumectantAlgin
Masking
Glyceryl Polyacrylate
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Pullulan
Disodium Phosphate
BufferingLinum Usitatissimum Seed Oil
Perfuming
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Potassium Phosphate
BufferingAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Phaeodactylum Tricornutum Extract
HumectantPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
CI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Squalane, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil, Polysilicone-11, Glycerin, Phenyl Trimethicone, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Actinidia Chinensis Fruit Extract, Parfum, Benzyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Trehalose, Urea, Tocopheryl Acetate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Xanthan Gum, BHT, Serine, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Phytate, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dehydroacetic Acid, Arginine PCA, Laureth-12, Elaeis Guineensis Oil, Propylene Glycol, Gossypium Herbaceum Seed Oil, Silica, Bidens Pilosa Extract, Algin, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Pullulan, Disodium Phosphate, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Sorbic Acid, Potassium Phosphate, Alcohol, Phaeodactylum Tricornutum Extract, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Tocopherol, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, CI 19140, CI 42090
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Triethyl Citrate
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum
Emulsion Stabilising
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientPhytic Acid
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Chlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningGlucose
Humectant
Capsicum Annuum Fruit Extract
Antimicrobial
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialWater, Propanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Triethyl Citrate, Glycerin, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum, Glyceryl Caprylate, Phytic Acid, Citric Acid, Sodium Gluconate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Metabisulfite, Tocopherol, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Glucose, Capsicum Annuum Fruit Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
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 is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideTocopherol 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
