What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Trihydroxystearin
Skin Conditioning
Zinc Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Manganese Gluconate
Skin ConditioningSilica
Abrasive
Aluminum Hydroxide
EmollientMagnesium Sulfate
Disodium EDTA
Copper Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Capryloyl Glycine
CleansingCitric Acid
Buffering
Acetylated Glycol Stearate
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate
Emulsifying
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Panthenol, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Trihydroxystearin, Zinc Gluconate, Madecassoside, Manganese Gluconate, Silica, Aluminum Hydroxide, Magnesium Sulfate, Disodium EDTA, Copper Gluconate, Capryloyl Glycine, Citric Acid, Acetylated Glycol Stearate, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Tocopherol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, CI 77891
Water
Skin ConditioningSqualane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientJojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
Squalene
Emollient
Phytosteryl Macadamiate
Skin Conditioning
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Squalane, Glycerin, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Jojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Butylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Saccharide Isomerate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Bisabolol, Allantoin, Ceramide Ng, Squalene, Phytosteryl Macadamiate, Phytosterols, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol
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 GlycolCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinTocopherol 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
