What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Rice Ferment Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Arginine
Masking
Leucine
Skin ConditioningGlycine
Buffering
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Placental Protein
HumectantArbutin
Antioxidant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Oryza Sativa Bran Oil
Emollient
Oryza Sativa Germ Oil
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cholesterol
Emollient
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Ceteth-20
CleansingSteareth-20
CleansingPEG-75 Stearate
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Ethylparaben
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Paraffinum Liquidum, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Rice Ferment Filtrate, Glutamic Acid, Arginine, Leucine, Glycine, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Placental Protein, Arbutin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Oryza Sativa Germ Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Squalane, Propanediol, Dimethicone, Cholesterol, Phytosphingosine, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Tocopherol, Ceteth-20, Steareth-20, PEG-75 Stearate, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Disodium EDTA, Potassium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantDimethicone
Emollient
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Phosphate
CleansingCoix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningCholesteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Skin ConditioningAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-12 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPhytosteryl Isostearyl Dimer Dilinoleate
EmollientOctyldodecyl Myristate
EmollientTocopherol
Antioxidant
Methylparaben
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Tocopheryl Phosphate, Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Extract, Cholesteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Butylene Glycol, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Sodium Hydroxide, Carbomer, Phytosteryl Isostearyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Octyldodecyl Myristate, Tocopherol, Methylparaben
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is a synthetic polymer. It is used to thicken, emulsify, and improve the texture of products.
As an emulsifier, it helps stabilize oil-in-water emulsions to give products an elegant feel when applied.
It can also form a thin protective film on skin. One study found that a formula using this polymer helped slow down how quickly other ingredients (like DEET) were absorbed through skin.
A 2024 study of over 1,300 patients confirmed that sensitization to this ingredient is rare. It is also non-mutagenic and has a clean track record.
Learn more about Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate CrosspolymerCarbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeGlycerin (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 GlycerinMethylparaben is a preservative and is a paraben. It is used to prevent the growth of fungus, mold, and other harmful bacteria. Parabens are chemicals used as preservatives in both cosmetics and food.
Methylparaben can be synthetically created. It can also be found naturally in some fruits, such as blueberries.
Oftentimes, Methylparaben is combined with other parabens to help increase the shelf life.
The safety of Methylparaben is currently being studied. While ongoing studies are looking into the safety of parabens, the results have been very mixed. Some studies have not found Methylparaben to be harmful.
Learn more about MethylparabenTocopherol 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
