What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Methyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
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 StabilisingNiacinamide
Smoothing
Tryptophan
MaskingHydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea
Emollient
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Limonene
Perfuming
Saururus Chinensis Extract
Skin ConditioningAcorus Gramineus Extract
HumectantLinalool
Perfuming
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Methyl Trimethicone, Ceramide AP, 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, Niacinamide, Tryptophan, Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea, Beta-Glucan, Limonene, Saururus Chinensis Extract, Acorus Gramineus Extract, Linalool, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate
EmollientGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientSqualane
Emollient
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38
Skin Conditioning
Caprae Lac
Skin ConditioningMilk Protein
Skin ConditioningLactose
HumectantBifida Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Melatonin
Antioxidant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Isododecane
EmollientMelia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Glyceryl Laurate
Emollient
Betaine
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingSpinacia Oleracea Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Carbonate
BufferingPropanediol
Solvent
Tephrosia Purpurea Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningAcetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Water, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Squalane, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Caprae Lac, Milk Protein, Lactose, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Bakuchiol, Melatonin, Hyaluronic Acid, Isododecane, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Panthenol, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Carbomer, Allantoin, Xanthan Gum, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Glyceryl Laurate, Betaine, Sodium Hydroxide, Centella Asiatica Extract, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Spinacia Oleracea Leaf Extract, Sodium Carbonate, Propanediol, Tephrosia Purpurea Seed Extract, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Maltodextrin
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 CarbomerGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl Caprylate comes from glycerin and caprylic acid. It is an emollient, co-emulsifier, and preservative booster.
Its short C8 fatty acid chain makes it behave differently from its longer-chain emollient cousins like Glyceryl Stearate. It feels more lightweight, fast-absorbing, and silky instead of rich and waxy.
As a co-emulsifier, its "head" and "tail" sit at the oil-water interface. But overall, the short C8 tail and not being water soluble means it doesn't really have the muscle to emulsify a formula on its own. That's why you'll often see it paired with a primary emulsifier like Cetearyl Glucoside.
Interestingly, Glyceryl Caprylate acts as a preservative booster. This is because its fatty-acid backbone disrupts microbial lipid membranes. It shows excellent activity against bacteria and yeast but is weaker against mold.
Typical concentrations range from 0.5-1% and this ingredient is generally non-irritating.
Because this ingredient has a C8 fatty acid chain, it is outside the range that the Malassezia yeast metabolizes (making it fungal acne safe).
Learn more about Glyceryl CaprylatePropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
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 PropanediolSqualane 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
