What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDicaprylyl Ether
EmollientPanthenol
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-6 Distearate
EmulsifyingPropanediol
SolventCetyl Esters
EmollientJojoba Esters
EmollientBehenyl Alcohol
EmollientAcacia Decurrens Flower Cera
EmollientHelianthus Annuus Seed Cera
EmollientCentella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningPolymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Oleate
EmulsifyingZinc Gluconate
Skin ConditioningMadecassoside
AntioxidantCetearyl Isononanoate
EmollientManganese Gluconate
Skin ConditioningIsohexadecane
EmollientAlpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
CleansingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingAdenosine
Skin ConditioningMannose
HumectantCopper Gluconate
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
ExfoliatingVitreoscilla Ferment
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
BufferingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Lactobacillus
Skin ConditioningMaltodextrin
AbsorbentPolyglycerin-3
HumectantBeeswax
Emulsion StabilisingPolysorbate 80
EmulsifyingAcrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCetyl Alcohol
EmollientTocopherol
AntioxidantWater, Dicaprylyl Ether, Panthenol, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate, Propanediol, Cetyl Esters, Jojoba Esters, Behenyl Alcohol, Acacia Decurrens Flower Cera, Helianthus Annuus Seed Cera, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice, Sorbitan Oleate, Zinc Gluconate, Madecassoside, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Manganese Gluconate, Isohexadecane, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Adenosine, Mannose, Copper Gluconate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Vitreoscilla Ferment, Citric Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Lactobacillus, Maltodextrin, Polyglycerin-3, Beeswax, Polysorbate 80, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Cetyl Alcohol, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningSqualane
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingIsoamyl Laurate
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Olivate
EmulsifyingCetearyl Olivate
Ceramide NP
Skin ConditioningJojoba Esters
EmollientSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantEuterpe Oleracea Sterols
Skin ConditioningLinoleic Acid
CleansingOleic Acid
EmollientLinolenic Acid
CleansingEthyl Linoleate
EmollientTocopherol
AntioxidantIsoamyl Cocoate
Cetyl Palmitate
EmollientSorbitan Palmitate
EmulsifyingCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningWater, Squalane, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Isoamyl Laurate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetearyl Olivate, Ceramide NP, Jojoba Esters, Sodium Hyaluronate, Euterpe Oleracea Sterols, Linoleic Acid, Oleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Ethyl Linoleate, Tocopherol, Isoamyl Cocoate, Cetyl Palmitate, Sorbitan Palmitate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Gluconate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinJojoba Esters is a wax created from Jojoba oil. It is an emollient and film-forming ingredient. In bead form, it is an exfoliator.
This ingredient has high oxidative stability, meaning it doesn't break down when exposed to oxygen.
Its similarity to our skin's natural oils makes it a great emollient. Emollients help soften and soothe our skin by creating a barrier on top. This barrier helps trap moisture in, keeping skin hydrated.
It is created using either the hydrogenation or transesterification processes on jojoba oil.
Learn more about Jojoba EstersSodium 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 HyaluronateTocopherol 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