What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientNiacinamide
Smoothing
Squalane
Emollient
Hydrogenated Vegetable Glycerides
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingXylitol
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
C10-30 Cholesterol/Lanosterol Esters
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningSodium Anisate
AntimicrobialXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Ammonium Lactate
Buffering
Isocetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Water, Propanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Isononyl Isononanoate, Niacinamide, Squalane, Hydrogenated Vegetable Glycerides, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Xylitol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ceramide NP, Tocopherol, C10-30 Cholesterol/Lanosterol Esters, Cetearyl Glucoside, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Anisate, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Ammonium Lactate, Isocetyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Poly 1,2-Butanediol-6 Propylene Glycol
SolventHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
PEG-400
Emulsion StabilisingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
PCA
Humectant
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSqualane
Emollient
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingHamamelis Virginiana Extract
Antiseborrhoeic
Trehalose
Humectant
Ectoin
Skin Conditioning
Sophora Flavescens Root Extract
Antioxidant
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract
Skin Conditioning
Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract
Skin ConditioningYeast Polysaccharides
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
T-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Oil
Masking
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Citrus Medica Peel Oil
Water, Butylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Poly 1,2-Butanediol-6 Propylene Glycol, Hydroxyacetophenone, PEG-400, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Panthenol, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Carbomer, Allantoin, PCA, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Squalane, Ceramide NP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide As, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide AP, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Centella Asiatica Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Trehalose, Ectoin, Sophora Flavescens Root Extract, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract, Yeast Polysaccharides, Pentylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Polysorbate 60, T-Butyl Alcohol, Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Oil, Sorbitan Isostearate, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Citrus Medica Peel Oil
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ceramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
Learn more about Ceramide NPGlycerin (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 GlycerinSodium 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 HyaluronateSqualane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).
It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.
This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.
Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.
Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.
No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).
Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.
This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.
Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.
Read more about squalene with an "e".
Though squalane is often called an oil, it’s technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.
The term “oil-free” isn’t regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.
Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.
A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.
The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.
Learn more about SqualaneWater. 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
