What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingPolyglyceryl-6 Distearate
Emulsifying
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantPolysilicone-11
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
CI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantJojoba Esters
Emollient
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Polyacrylamide
Boron Nitride
Absorbent
Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax
Emulsifying
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingTin Oxide
Abrasive
Citric Acid
Buffering
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Cyclohexasiloxane, Alcohol Denat., Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Dimethicone, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate, Mica, CI 77891, Polysilicone-11, Phenoxyethanol, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, CI 77491, Jojoba Esters, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyacrylamide, Boron Nitride, Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax, Cetyl Alcohol, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA, Laureth-7, Sodium Hydroxide, Tin Oxide, Citric Acid, Ceramide AP
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Homosalate
Skin Conditioning
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Dimethicone
Emollient
Butyloctyl Salicylate
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Propanediol
Solvent
Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Chloride
MaskingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Trimethylsiloxysilicate
Emollient
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingDisodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingParfum
Masking
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Snail Secretion Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Silica Silylate
Emollient
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Limonene
Perfuming
Simethicone
Emollient
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Aluminum Hydroxide
EmollientAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Ethyl Hexanediol
SolventDipropylene Glycol
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Citral
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Sodium Citrate
BufferingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Homosalate, Octocrylene, Caprylyl Methicone, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Dimethicone, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Niacinamide, Propanediol, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Chloride, Butylene Glycol, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Parfum, Chlorphenesin, Caprylyl Glycol, Snail Secretion Filtrate, Silica Silylate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Limonene, Simethicone, Maltodextrin, Aluminum Hydroxide, Adenosine, Ethyl Hexanediol, Dipropylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Citral, Linalool, Sodium Citrate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, 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 a purine nucleoside that your body already makes in every cell. In skincare, it acts mainly as a skin conditioning and anti-aging agent.
The way it works is fairly well mapped out:
Your skin has cells called fibroblasts that build collagen (the stuff that keeps skin firm and smooth). Adenosine basically flips a switch on these cells that tells them to get to work making more collagen and other proteins. These cells slow down on their own as skin ages, so Adenosine helps give them a little nudge to keep going.
The clinical backing is pretty solid too.
A blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 126 women aged 45-65 tested a 0.1% cream twice daily and found real improvements in crow's feet and frown lines using a precise 3D skin-mapping technique; these changes showed up by week 3 and held at 2 months.
A later study using Adenosine-loaded dissolving microneedle patches reported gains in wrinkle depth, dermal density, elasticity, and hydration.
On concentrations, South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has set 0.04% as the approved functional anti-wrinkle level. You'll typically see this ingredient used somewhere in the 0.04-0.1% range since it works at low doses.
This ingredient has been found safe for cosmetics with the data showing no irritation or sensitization.
Overall, this is a great ingredient for any anti-aging routine and has no photosensitizing effect, so it suits both AM and PM use.
Learn more about AdenosineCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeGlycerin (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 PhenoxyethanolSynthetic Fluorphlogopite is the synthethic version of mica. It consists of fluorine, aluminum and silicate.
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite is used to add volume to products.
It is considered non-irritating on the skin.
Learn more about Synthetic FluorphlogopiteWater. 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
