What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
CleansingLauryl Betaine
CleansingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Trihydroxystearin
Skin Conditioning
Polyquaternium-10
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Salicylate
Preservative
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Menthol
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Illicium Verum Fruit/Seed Oil
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Dextrin
AbsorbentJuniperus Virginiana Oil
Masking
Tetrasodium EDTA
Mentha Arvensis Leaf Oil
Masking
Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil
Perfuming
Ocimum Basilicum Oil
Masking
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil
Masking
Viola Odorata Leaf Extract
MaskingLactobacillus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Seed Extract
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicWater, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Lauryl Betaine, Glyceryl Stearate, Trihydroxystearin, Polyquaternium-10, Caffeine, Cetyl Alcohol, Dicaprylyl Ether, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Salicylate, Mentha Piperita Oil, Menthol, Citric Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Caprylyl Glycol, Illicium Verum Fruit/Seed Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Dextrin, Juniperus Virginiana Oil, Tetrasodium EDTA, Mentha Arvensis Leaf Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Ocimum Basilicum Oil, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Viola Odorata Leaf Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Glycerin, Camellia Sinensis Seed Extract, Tocopherol, Ceramide NP, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Phytosphingosine, Biotin
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
EmulsifyingHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Trehalose
Humectant
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Di-C12-13 Alkyl Malate
EmollientPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
PPG-3 Caprylyl Ether
SolventCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Dextrin
AbsorbentMicrocrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentLactose
HumectantSucrose
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAlpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Biotin
Antiseborrhoeic1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Rosa Damascena Flower Extract
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Glutamic Acid, Trehalose, Caffeine, Di-C12-13 Alkyl Malate, Panthenol, PPG-3 Caprylyl Ether, Caprylyl Glycol, Zea Mays Starch, Dextrin, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Lactose, Sucrose, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Butylene Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Biotin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Rosa Damascena Flower Extract, Tocopherol
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Biotin is a B vitamin that is naturally produced by our bodies. It is also called Vitamin H.
Our bodies use biotin in the metabolism process. It also helps our bodies use enzymes and move nutrients around. A biotin deficiency can lead to brittle hair and nails.
More research is needed on applying biotin topically. However, taking biotin orally has been shown to help nourish the skin, hair, and nails. They play a role in forming skin-hydrating fatty acids.
Biotin is water-soluble. It can be found in foods such as fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, and meat. Vitamin H stands for "haar" and "haut". These are the German words for hair and skin.
Learn more about BiotinCaffeine 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 CaffeineThis ingredient is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.
It helps thicken a product's formula and makes it easier to spread by dissolving clumping compounds.
Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid. Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. It is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid. In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Be sure to patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCaprylyl 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 or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholDextrin is used to thicken a product and helps bind ingredients together. It is created from starch and glycogen.
As an emulsifier, dextrin prevents ingredients from separating. This helps elongate a product's shelf life.
Studies show coating UV filters with dextrin prevents these ingredients from being absorbed. This helps UV ingredients last longer on the skin.
Learn more about DextrinGlycerin (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 GlycerinLactobacillus Ferment Lysate is a postbiotic with skin soothing properties. Postbiotics are inactive molecules produced by probiotic bacteria that provide skin benefits.
This ingredient comes from the secretion of the bacteria, Lactobacillus.
Studies show this ingredient can help calm redness and may help treat the signs of photoaging; however, the evidence is inconclusive and further studies are needed.
Lactobacillus Ferment is generally considered safe for fungal-acne prone skin. The key thing to understand is that it comes from bacteria, not yeast or fungus.
Yeast-derived ferments (like galactomyces) have been shown to activate a protein that's linked to Malassezia-related skin issues whereas lactobacillus doesn't have that problem.
Its byproducts also don't contain the types of fatty acids (C11-24 chain lengths) that Malassezia feeds on.
Learn more about Lactobacillus Ferment LysateTocopherol 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
