What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCaffeine
Skin Conditioning
Myristyl Alcohol
Emollient
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Methylparaben
Preservative
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingMica
Cosmetic ColorantEthylparaben
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Citric Acid
Buffering
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantFarnesol
Perfuming
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
CI 16035
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Propanediol, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Caffeine, Myristyl Alcohol, Bisabolol, Methylparaben, Sodium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, Mica, Ethylparaben, Disodium EDTA, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Citric Acid, CI 77891, Farnesol, Sodium Hyaluronate, CI 16035
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
Antioxidant
Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract
Antimicrobial
Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract
AntimicrobialHumulus Lupulus Extract
AntimicrobialCitrus Reticulata Peel Extract
Skin ConditioningPunica Granatum Fruit Juice
MaskingYeast Extract
Skin ConditioningBiosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Linolenic Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingLinoleic Acid
Cleansing
Glycine
Buffering
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCyclodextrin
AbsorbentHydroxyproline
Skin ConditioningAcrylates Copolymer
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Polyacrylamide
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Ethylbisiminomethylguaiacol Manganese Chloride
Antioxidant
Nordihydroguaiaretic Acid
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantMica
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Caffeine, Panthenol, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract, Humulus Lupulus Extract, Citrus Reticulata Peel Extract, Punica Granatum Fruit Juice, Yeast Extract, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Linolenic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Laureth-7, Linoleic Acid, Glycine, Carbomer, Cyclodextrin, Hydroxyproline, Acrylates Copolymer, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Polyacrylamide, Caprylyl Glycol, Proline, Ethylbisiminomethylguaiacol Manganese Chloride, Nordihydroguaiaretic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Hexylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, CI 77891, Mica
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caffeine 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 CaffeineCarbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerCi 77891 is a white pigment from Titanium dioxide. It is naturally found in minerals such as rutile and ilmenite.
It's main function is to add a white color to cosmetics. It can also be mixed with other colors to create different shades.
Ci 77891 is commonly found in sunscreens due to its ability to block UV rays.
Learn more about CI 77891Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinMica is a naturally occurring mineral used to add shimmer and color in cosmetics. It can also help improve the texture of a product or give it an opaque, white/silver color.
Serecite is the name for very fine but ragged grains of mica.
This ingredient is often coated with metal oxides like titanium dioxide. Trace amounts of heavy metals may be found in mica, but these metals are not harmful in our personal products.
Mica has been used since prehistoric times throughout the world. Ancient Egyptian, Indian, Greek, Roman, Aztec, and Chinese civilizations have used mica.
Learn more about MicaPhenoxyethanol 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.
Sodium 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 HyaluronateWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
