What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Octyldodecyl Myristate
EmollientHydrogenated Palm Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Paeonia Lactiflora Root Extract
Skin ConditioningGanoderma Amboinense Extract
HumectantRosa Rugosa Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Amara Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningBifida Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Perilla Ocymoides Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil
Emollient
Phytol
Emollient
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Yeast Extract
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
Antioxidant
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialScutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Lecithin
Emollient
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Triethylhexanoin
MaskingDimethicone
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Batyl Alcohol
EmollientIsomalt
HumectantSorbitol
Humectant
Sodium Phosphate
BufferingBis-Ethylhexyl Hydroxydimethoxy Benzylmalonate
Antioxidant
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingDipalmitoyl Glycerophosphocholine
Skin ConditioningDicetyl Dipeptide-9
Cholesterol
Emollient
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Distearyl PEG-18 Formoyl Glutamate
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Arginine
Masking
Phytic Acid
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Octyldodecyl Myristate, Hydrogenated Palm Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Cetyl Palmitate, Pentylene Glycol, Paeonia Lactiflora Root Extract, Ganoderma Amboinense Extract, Rosa Rugosa Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Citrus Aurantium Amara Fruit Extract, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Squalane, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Perilla Ocymoides Seed Oil, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil, Phytol, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Yeast Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Lecithin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Tocopherol, Behenyl Alcohol, Triethylhexanoin, Dimethicone, Stearic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Batyl Alcohol, Isomalt, Sorbitol, Sodium Phosphate, Bis-Ethylhexyl Hydroxydimethoxy Benzylmalonate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Dipalmitoyl Glycerophosphocholine, Dicetyl Dipeptide-9, Cholesterol, Palmitic Acid, Distearyl PEG-18 Formoyl Glutamate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Arginine, Phytic Acid, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Squalane
Emollient
Palmaria Palmata Extract
Skin ProtectingHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Water, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Squalane, Palmaria Palmata Extract, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phenoxyethanol, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.Â
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservativesÂ
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 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 StearatePhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Squalane 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, itâs 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 âoil-freeâ isnât 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 SqualaneWater. 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
