What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Inulin
Skin Conditioning
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Oleate
Emollient
PCA Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Arginine Ferulate
Skin ConditioningPCA Ethyl Cocoyl Arginate
Moisturising
Phytic Acid
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Urtica Dioica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCalendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialLevulinic Acid
Perfuming
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate
Emollient
Lecithin
Emollient
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Water, Coco-Glucoside, Alcohol, Glycerin, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Inulin, Lactic Acid, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Oleate, PCA Glyceryl Oleate, Sodium PCA, Arginine Ferulate, PCA Ethyl Cocoyl Arginate, Phytic Acid, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Citric Acid, Urtica Dioica Leaf Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Levulinic Acid, Maltodextrin, Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract, Sodium Levulinate, Tocopherol, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate, Lecithin, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Benzyl Salicylate
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Sodium Coco-Sulfate
Cleansing
Propanediol
Solvent
Lauryl Glucoside
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientSodium Chloride
MaskingLysolecithin
EmulsifyingAscorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Beta-Sitosterol
Emulsion Stabilising
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate
Skin ConditioningSqualene
Emollient
Xylitol
Humectant
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate
Emollient
Lecithin
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Coco-Glucoside, Sodium Coco-Sulfate, Propanediol, Lauryl Glucoside, Glycerin, Glyceryl Caprylate, Sodium Chloride, Lysolecithin, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Beta-Sitosterol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate, Squalene, Xylitol, Glyceryl Oleate, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate, Lecithin, Tocopherol, Lactic Acid
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ascorbyl Palmitate is a fat-soluble form of vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) made by combining it with palmitic acid.
It is able to blend easily into creams and oil-based formulas because it dissolves in oils rather than water.
As you may know, regular vitamin C is notorious for breaking down when exposed to sunlight and air. Ascorbyl Palmitate is more stable and degrades at a slower rate.
Research on whether it converts efficiently into active vitamin C once it's applied on your skin is still limited. Some in-vitro studies suggest it may support collagen production, but it is not considered one of the stronger vitamin C derivatives, like:
Due to the palmitic acid base, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. Comedogenic studies have also shown this ingredient to have a rating of 2.
It's also worth keeping in mind that comedogenic and irritancy ratings are tested on individual ingredients, not finished formulas. The final product's formulation, concentration, and other ingredients all play a role in how something actually behaves on your skin.
Learn more about Ascorbyl PalmitateCoco-Glucoside is a surfactant, or a cleansing ingredient. It is made from glucose and coconut oil.
Surfactants help gather dirt, oil, and other pollutants from your skin to be rinsed away.
This ingredient is considered gentle and non-comedogenic. However, it may still be irritating for some.
Learn more about Coco-GlucosideGlycerin (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 Oleate is the ester of glycerin and oleic acid. This ingredient is mainly an emollient and emulsifier.
Emollients soften and hydrate the skin by creating a thin film on top to trap in moisture. As an emulsifier, glyceryl oleate helps stabilize formulations by preventing ingredients such as oil and water from separating. According to a manufacturer, this ingredient helps helps thicken water-in-oil formulations, shower gels, and hair shampoos.
In some products, this ingredient may be used as a fragrance / perfuming ingredient. The scent of this ingredient is described to be "waxy".
Glyceryl oleate is created from oils rich in oleic acid, such as peanut oil and olive oil.
This ingredient may not be malassezia folliculitis safe.
Learn more about Glyceryl OleateHydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate isn't fungal acne safe.
Lactic Acid is another well-loved alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). It is gentler than glycolic acid but still highly effective.
Its main role is to exfoliate the surface of the skin by loosening the âglueâ that holds dead skin cells together. Shedding those old cells leads to smoother, softer, and more even-toned skin.
Because lactic acid molecules are larger than glycolic acid, they donât penetrate as deeply. This means theyâre less likely to sting or irritate, making it a great choice for beginners or those with sensitive skin.
Like glycolic acid, it can:
Lactic acid also acts as a humectant (like hyaluronic acid). It can draw water into the skin to improve hydration and also plays a role in the skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF) in the form of sodium lactate.
Studies show it can boost ceramide production to strengthen the skin barrier and even help balance the skinâs microbiome.
To get results, choose products with a pH between 3-4.
Lower strengths (5-12%) focus on surface exfoliation; higher strengths (12% and up) can reach deeper in the dermis (deeper, supportive layer) to improve skin texture and firmness over time.
Though it was originally derived from milk, most modern lactic acid used in skincare is vegan. It is made through non-dairy fermentation to create a bio-identical and stable form suitable for all formulations.
When lactic acid shows up near the end of an ingredient list, it usually means the brand added just a tiny amount to adjust the productâs pH.
Legend has it that Cleopatra used to bathe in sour milk to help reduce wrinkles.
Lactic acid is truly a gentle multitasker: it exfoliates, hydrates, strengthens, and brightens. It's a great ingredient for giving your skin a smooth, glowing, and healthy look without the harshness of stronger acids.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Lactic AcidLecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
Depending on the source of this ingredient, lecithin may not be fungal acne safe. This is because some sources of lecithin come from soybean oil, which may feed the malassezia yeast that causes fungal acne.
We recommend reaching out to the brand you are purchasing from to inquire about the source of their lecithin.
Learn more about LecithinTocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skinâs lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
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
