What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmollientXylitol
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Juice
Skin ConditioningCanola Oil
Emollient
Sucrose Stearate
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Brassica Campestris Sterols
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Inulin
Skin Conditioning
Avena Sativa Kernel Oil
Skin Conditioning
Vaccinium Myrtillus Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningMicrocrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables
Emollient
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingPolyglyceryl-10 Stearate
Skin Conditioning
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTriethyl Citrate
Masking
Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate
Emulsion Stabilising
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Carrageenan
Emulsion StabilisingBehenic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Maris Sal
Skin ConditioningSodium Cetearyl Sulfate
Cleansing
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialWater, Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Xylitol, Squalane, Glycerin, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Juice, Canola Oil, Sucrose Stearate, Pentylene Glycol, Betaine, Cetearyl Alcohol, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Brassica Campestris Sterols, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Inulin, Avena Sativa Kernel Oil, Vaccinium Myrtillus Seed Oil, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Ceramide EOP, Hydroxyacetophenone, Tocopherol, Saccharide Isomerate, Propanediol, Cetyl Alcohol, Sclerotium Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Sodium Gluconate, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Phenoxyethanol, Cellulose Gum, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Lactic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Triethyl Citrate, Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Carrageenan, Behenic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Levulinate, Potassium Sorbate, Maris Sal, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
Avena Sativa Seed Water 77%
Solvent
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
2,3-Butanediol
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Squalane
Emollient
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Tromethamine
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningInulin Lauryl Carbamate
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Surfactin
CleansingBeta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Avena Sativa Seed Water 77%, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, 2,3-Butanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Water, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Squalane, Hydroxyacetophenone, Carbomer, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Panthenol, Tromethamine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Sodium Surfactin, Beta-Glucan
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ethylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinHydroxyacetophenone is a small phenolic molecule that earns its place in a formulas as an antioxidant and preservative booster.
As a phenol, it is able to neutralize free radicals to protect both the product and the skin from oxidative stress.
Though it can't kill microbes on its own, it works as a good supporting agent when combined with other preservatives like Phenoxyethanol or 1,2-Hexanediol.
This ingredient naturally occurs as piceol in Norwegian spruce needles (~0.4-1.1% dry weight and in cloudberries). Though the cosmetic-grade material is synthesized for purity and consistency.
You'll usually see it used at low levels and suppliers recommend up to 1% added to a water phase.
Safety testing was done at concentrations like 0.05% in SPF products and 0.5% in a Human Repeated Insult Patch Test. The safety evidence is assuring; this ingredient is safe for cosmetics in current use and also holds safety status as a food flavoring as well.
An honest caveat: the "soothing" and "anti-inflammatory" claims come mostly from supplier marketing rather than published clinical trials. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review's own literature search found no useful efficacy studies on this ingredient.
So the antioxidant and preservative-boosting roles are the well supported ones while the calming benefit is plausible but thinly evidenced.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated, low-irritation multitasker that quietly helps a formula stay fresh and stable.
Learn more about HydroxyacetophenoneSqualane 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
