What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Trehalose
Humectant
Methyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
PCA Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPropanediol
Solvent
Tromethamine
BufferingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Raffinose
Skin ConditioningStearyl Behenate
Emollient
Malachite Extract
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Inulin Lauryl Carbamate
Emulsion StabilisingTranexamic Acid
Astringent
Tryptophan
MaskingHydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea
Emollient
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Limonene
Perfuming
Acorus Gramineus Extract
HumectantLinalool
Perfuming
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Trehalose, Methyl Trimethicone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Squalane, Phenyl Trimethicone, PCA Dimethicone, Caprylyl Methicone, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Carbomer, Propanediol, Tromethamine, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Glyceryl Caprylate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Raffinose, Stearyl Behenate, Malachite Extract, Parfum, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Tranexamic Acid, Tryptophan, Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea, Beta-Glucan, Limonene, Acorus Gramineus Extract, Linalool, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Hamamelis Virginiana Extract
Antiseborrhoeic
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Alpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Propanediol
Solvent
Chitin
Abrasive
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingGlycerin
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantTriethanolamine
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Menthol
Masking
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Niacinamide, Centella Asiatica Extract, Alpha-Arbutin, Propanediol, Chitin, Sodium PCA, Carbomer, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Triethanolamine, Disodium EDTA, Allantoin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol, Menthol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.Â
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolTocopherol 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
