What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventGlycerin
HumectantIsononyl Isononanoate
EmollientButylene Glycol
HumectantPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningDextrin Palmitate/Ethylhexanoate
EmulsifyingLimnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin ConditioningHelichrysum Italicum Flower Oil
MaskingOriganum Majorana Leaf Extract
AntiseborrhoeicAcmella Oleracea Extract
Skin ProtectingHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientAdenosine
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingMaltodextrin
AbsorbentSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPalmitic Acid
EmollientDisodium EDTA
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingAmodimethicone
Tocopherol
AntioxidantParfum
MaskingCI 75130
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Propanediol, Glycerin, Isononyl Isononanoate, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Dextrin Palmitate/Ethylhexanoate, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Helichrysum Italicum Flower Oil, Origanum Majorana Leaf Extract, Acmella Oleracea Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Adenosine, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Maltodextrin, Sodium Hydroxide, Palmitic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Cellulose Gum, Amodimethicone, Tocopherol, Parfum, CI 75130
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningSorbitol
HumectantPhenoxyethanol
PreservativePPG-26-Buteth-26
Skin ConditioningAlgin
MaskingPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingParfum
MaskingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Tetrasodium EDTA
Polyvinyl Alcohol
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
AbrasiveSodium Citrate
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
BufferingCellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingAdenosine
Skin ConditioningSodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine
HumectantSodium Tocopheryl Phosphate
AntioxidantCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialMaltodextrin
AbsorbentIris Florentina Root Extract
MaskingAspalathus Linearis Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningBHT
AntioxidantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 14700
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantTocopherol
AntioxidantWater, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Sorbitol, Phenoxyethanol, PPG-26-Buteth-26, Algin, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Parfum, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Tetrasodium EDTA, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Sodium Citrate, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Cellulose Gum, Adenosine, Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine, Sodium Tocopheryl Phosphate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Maltodextrin, Iris Florentina Root Extract, Aspalathus Linearis Leaf Extract, BHT, CI 19140, CI 14700, CI 42090, Tocopherol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Adenosine is in every living organism. It is one of four components in nucleic acids that helps store our DNA.
Adenosine has many benefits when used. These benefits include hydrating the skin, smoothing skin, and reducing wrinkles. Once applied, adenosine increases collagen production. It also helps with improving firmness and tissue repair.
Studies have found adenosine may also help with wound healing.
In skincare products, Adenosine is usually derived from yeast.
Learn more about AdenosineCellulose Gum is a water-soluble polymer that comes from cellulose. It is used to change the texture of a product and to help stabilize emulsions.
As an emulsifier, cellulose gum specifically thicken the texture of water-based products.
This ingredient is considered hypoallergenic and non-toxic. Cellulose Gum can be found in cosmetics, food, and other household goods such as paper products.
Learn more about Cellulose GumGlycerin (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 GlycerinMaltodextrin is a polysaccharide. It is derived from starch such as rice, corn, wheat, or potato starch.
In food, Maltodextrin is used to improve the texture and thicken a product. Due to its structure, it can help create a gel texture. As an emulsion stabilizer, it helps keep the ingredients in a product together.
As a polysaccharide, Maltodextrin has moisturizing properties. Polysaccharides are a type of carbohydrate. The top layer of skin uses polysaccharides to retain water, keeping the skin hydrated.
Maltodextrin is water soluble and has a sweet taste.
Learn more about MaltodextrinParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumPentylene 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 GlycolPhenoxyethanol 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.
Tocopherol 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