This brightening moisturizer is formulated around Squalane and Capryloyl Salicylic Acid to brighten dull-looking skin.
This barrier-repair moisturizer is formulated around Squalane and Ceramide NP to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSqualane
EmollientCyclohexasiloxane
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantCetyl Alcohol
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPEG-40 Stearate
EmulsifyingParaffinum Liquidum
EmollientMyristyl Myristate
EmollientPentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
EmollientOctyldodecanol
EmollientSorbitan Tristearate
EmulsifyingButylene Glycol
HumectantAcrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeSynthetic Fluorphlogopite
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantIsohexadecane
EmollientCapryloyl Salicylic Acid
ExfoliatingAcrylonitrile/Methyl Methacrylate/Vinylidene Chloride Copolymer
Mannitol
HumectantMethylparaben
PreservativeAscorbyl Glucoside
AntioxidantParfum
MaskingChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialStearyl Alcohol
EmollientMyristyl Alcohol
EmollientMica
Cosmetic ColorantPolysorbate 80
EmulsifyingPaeonia Albiflora Root Extract
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
CI 77163
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantHydrolyzed Cicer Seed Extract
Skin ProtectingSorbitan Oleate
EmulsifyingIsobutane
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingIris Florentina Root Extract
MaskingVigna Aconitifolia Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningCyclodextrin
AbsorbentSodium Cocoyl Glutamate
CleansingYeast Extract
Skin ConditioningHexyl Cinnamal
PerfumingTin Oxide
AbrasiveBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingHydroxycitronellal
PerfumingBenzyl Salicylate
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingCitronellol
PerfumingLimonene
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingAlpha-Isomethyl Ionone
PerfumingDisodium Succinate
MaskingWater, Squalane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-40 Stearate, Paraffinum Liquidum, Myristyl Myristate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Octyldodecanol, Sorbitan Tristearate, Butylene Glycol, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, CI 77891, Isohexadecane, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Acrylonitrile/Methyl Methacrylate/Vinylidene Chloride Copolymer, Mannitol, Methylparaben, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Parfum, Chlorphenesin, Stearyl Alcohol, Myristyl Alcohol, Mica, Polysorbate 80, Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract, Disodium EDTA, CI 77163, CI 77491, Hydrolyzed Cicer Seed Extract, Sorbitan Oleate, Isobutane, Sodium Hydroxide, Iris Florentina Root Extract, Vigna Aconitifolia Seed Extract, Cyclodextrin, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Yeast Extract, Hexyl Cinnamal, Tin Oxide, Benzyl Alcohol, Hydroxycitronellal, Benzyl Salicylate, Linalool, Citronellol, Limonene, Geraniol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Disodium Succinate
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingSqualane
EmollientDimethicone
EmollientButylene Glycol
HumectantMethyl Trimethicone
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantBeta-Sitosterol
Emulsion StabilisingCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCeramide Ng
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tripeptide-8
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningEuphorbia Cerifera Wax
Tocopherol
AntioxidantGlyceryl Behenate
EmollientLecithin
EmollientPolyacrylamide
Polysilicone-11
Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate
EmulsifyingDextran
Oleic Acid
EmollientSodium Acrylates Copolymer
C13-14 Isoparaffin
EmollientAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Squalane, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Methyl Trimethicone, Glycerin, Beta-Sitosterol, Ceramide NP, Ceramide Ng, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Euphorbia Cerifera Wax, Tocopherol, Glyceryl Behenate, Lecithin, Polyacrylamide, Polysilicone-11, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Dextran, Oleic Acid, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Laureth-7, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
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 GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolSqualane 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, it’s 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 “oil-free” isn’t 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