What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Methicone
Emollient
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Petrolatum
Emollient
Diisostearyl Malate
EmollientPEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Collagen Powder
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
BHT
Antioxidant
Disodium Phosphate
BufferingSodium Phosphate
BufferingSodium Chloride
MaskingDimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Water, Glycerin, Methicone, Alcohol, Petrolatum, Diisostearyl Malate, PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Tocopherol, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Ubiquinone, Collagen Powder, Disodium EDTA, BHT, Disodium Phosphate, Sodium Phosphate, Sodium Chloride, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben
Urea
Buffering
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Petrolatum
Emollient
Silicon
Abrasive
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Behenic Acid
Cleansing
Triisostearoyl 3-Glyceryl Ascorbate
HumectantPEG-5 Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Methyl Stearic Acid
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Acetate
BufferingSodium Paraben
Preservative
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Urea, Tocopheryl Acetate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Paraffinum Liquidum, Squalane, Petrolatum, Silicon, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Stearic Acid, Behenic Acid, Triisostearoyl 3-Glyceryl Ascorbate, PEG-5 Castor Oil, Methyl Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Acetate, Sodium Paraben, Sodium Hyaluronate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate comes from licorice root.
Extracts of licorice have demonstrated to have antibacterial, anti‐inflammatory, antiviral, antioxidant properties.
One component, glabridin, has extra potent antioxidant and soothing properties. It has also been found to block pigmentation from UVB rays in guinea pigs.
Licorice Root also contains a flavonoid. Flavonoids are a natural substance from in plants. Flavonoids also have antioxidant properties.
Another component, glycyrrhizin, has been found to have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial benefits. This may make licorice root extract effective at treating acne. However, more research is needed to support this.
Liquiritin is one of the flavone compounds found in licorice. It has been found to help lighten skin by preventing tyrosinase from reacting with tyrosine. When the two react, protein is converted to melanin. Melanin is the substance in your body that gives your features pigmentation.
Licorice root is native to Southern Europe and Asia. It has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to help with respiratory issues.
Learn more about Dipotassium GlycyrrhizateGlycerin (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 GlycerinPetrolatum is more commonly known as petroleum jelly. It is created by mixing waxes and mineral oils.
This ingredient is effective at reducing water loss by 99%. This is because it is an occlusive. Occlusives create a hydrophobic barrier on the skin to prevent evaporation. This property makes it great for hydrating dry skin.
Pro tip: Use occlusives, such as this ingredient, on damp skin for the best results.
The quality or origin of petrolatum is only known when disclosed by the brand. Most cosmetic petrolatum has gone through several purification stages.
Another benefit of occlusives is it protects your skin against infection or allergies.
Petrolatum is fungal acne safe. It is a hydrocarbon with no fatty acid structure, so Malassezia cannot metabolize it. In-vitro studies support negligible growth stimulation as well.
It's also worth noting that petrolatum has a comedogenic rating of 0. In updated rabbit ear testing (and in human testing), petrolatum was found to be not comedogenic. This means it didn’t promote comedone formation in standard models.
Learn more about PetrolatumSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateTocopheryl Acetate is a stable, shelf-friendly form of vitamin E.
Formulators love it because plain vitamin E oxidizes quickly once it hits air. This acetate version stays stable and resists going off, helping to extend a product's shelf life.
It's actually inactive on its own and works like a slow-release "storage" form; the enzymes in your skin called esterases gradually convert it into active vitamin E over time.
One in vivo study showed 5% of the acetate in the living layer of the epidermis converted to vitamin E after 5 days of application. This study also found the skin gained protection against UV damage even though the conversion was slow and small.
Once converted, vitamin E acts as a skin's main fat-soluble antioxidant that fights free radicals to protect skin from damage.
Topical vitamin E generally boosts the skin's photoprotection, and it reduced UV-damage in animal models.
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.
Overall, it has a pretty solid safety profile and has been found to be non-irritating and non-comedogenic. Allergic reactions may happen but stay rare due to how widely the ingredient gets used.
The concentration will vary depending on the formula; industry data shows 0.1% in baby lotions, 3% in lipsticks, and 5% in foot powders. You can also find this ingredient at 100% in a pure vitamin E oil.
Most leave-on skincare keeps it at the lower end, often between 0.5-1%.
Learn more about Tocopheryl Acetate
