What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Centaurea Cyanus Flower Water
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Isodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantArachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingBehenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Coco-Caprylate
Emollient
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Disodium EDTA
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantIsohexadecane
EmollientMica
Cosmetic ColorantPEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingPolymethyl Methacrylate
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Dextran Sulfate
Gel Forming
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Talc
Abrasive
Tin Oxide
Abrasive
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Viburnum Prunifolium Extract
MaskingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Butylene Glycol, Centaurea Cyanus Flower Water, Glycerin, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Dimethicone, CI 77891, Arachidyl Alcohol, Alcohol, Arachidyl Glucoside, Behenyl Alcohol, Caffeine, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Coco-Caprylate, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Disodium EDTA, Glyceryl Stearate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, CI 77492, CI 77491, Isohexadecane, Mica, PEG-100 Stearate, Phenethyl Alcohol, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Polysorbate 60, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Dextran Sulfate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sorbitan Isostearate, Talc, Tin Oxide, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Viburnum Prunifolium Extract, Xanthan Gum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
C15-19 Alkane
SolventButylene Glycol
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Squalane
Emollient
Isostearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butylene Glycol Cocoate
Emulsifying
Cellulose
Absorbent
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion Stabilising1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingCarnosine
Skin Conditioning
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Mannitol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Ethylcellulose
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Salvia Miltiorrhiza Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Rhamnose
HumectantGlycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Glabridin
BleachingAcetyl Tetrapeptide-5
Humectant
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Pongamia Glabra Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-10
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, C15-19 Alkane, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Squalane, Isostearyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol Cocoate, Cellulose, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Carnosine, Caffeine, Citric Acid, Mannitol, Xylitol, Ethylcellulose, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Tocopherol, Salvia Miltiorrhiza Root Extract, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Rhamnose, Glycine Soja Oil, Glabridin, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Pongamia Glabra Seed Oil, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-10
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCaffeine is a naturally occurring plant compound found in coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa pods, and guarana.
As an antioxidant, caffeine protects your skin from free radical damage caused by UV exposure and envionrmnetal stressors.
Early research also shows that caffeine can help calm redness, soothe irritated skin, and support hair growth by stimulating microcirculation in the scalp.
You might have seen eye creams marketing caffeine as a depuffing ingredient. This is because it is a vasoconstrictor meaning it can temporarily constrict blood vessels, though clinical evidence for this specific use is still limited.
Most skincare products contain this ingredient at concentrations between 1-6%. It is able to penetrate skin easily regardless of skin type or thickness.
Just so you know, a very small number of case reports describe caffeine-induced allergy. This ingredient is generally well-tolerated, non-irritating, and non-sensitizing for the majority of people.
Learn more about CaffeineCitric 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 GlycerinThis is a synthetic polymer. It helps improve the texture of products by adding thickness and gel-like feel.
It is also an emulsifer, meaning it prevents ingredients such as oil and water from separating. It also helps evenly disperse other ingredients.
Polysorbate 60 is used to help stabilize products. It is a surfactant and emulsifier. These properties help keep ingredients together in a product. Surfactants help reduce surface tension between ingredients with different states, such as liquids and solids. Emulsifiers help prevent oils and waters from separating.
Polysorbate 60 is sorbitol-based and created from the ethoxylation of sorbitan. Ethoxylation is a chemical reaction used to add ethylene oxide. Sorbitan is a the dehydrated version of sorbitol, a sugar found in fruits.
In this case, the 60 comes from reacting 60 units of ethylene oxide with sorbitan.
Polysorbates are commonly used in medicine and foods.
Learn more about Polysorbate 60Sorbitan Isostearate is an emulsifer. It is created from isostearic acid and sorbitol.
As an emulsifier, it keeps the water and oil ingredients from separating. This keeps formulas stable and smooth.
In a 24 hour occlusive patch test on 56 subjects, 10% sorbitan isostearate was completely non-irritating. Most formulas use less than 10%.
Because it's a fatty acid ester, it may not be fungal acne safe since the Malassezia yeast can utilize it as a nutrient source.
Learn more about Sorbitan IsostearateTocopherol 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
