What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDecyl Cocoate
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Vaccinium Vitis-Idaea Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingMicrocrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentTocopherol
Antioxidant
Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate
Emulsion Stabilising
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingMica
Cosmetic ColorantDilinoleic Acid/Butanediol Copolymer
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningC9-12 Alkane
SolventHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Mannitol
Humectant
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Castor Oil/Ipdi Copolymer
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Glycine Soja Protein
EmulsifyingCyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningSh-Polypeptide-69
Skin Protecting
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Tin Oxide
Abrasive
Sodium Dextran Sulfate
Gel Forming
Superoxide Dismutase
Antioxidant
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Decyl Cocoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Pentylene Glycol, Saccharide Isomerate, Vaccinium Vitis-Idaea Fruit Extract, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Xanthan Gum, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Tocopherol, Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Mica, Dilinoleic Acid/Butanediol Copolymer, Alcohol Denat., Sodium Gluconate, C9-12 Alkane, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Sodium Hyaluronate, Mannitol, Cellulose Gum, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Caprylyl Glycol, Castor Oil/Ipdi Copolymer, Ceramide AP, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycine Soja Protein, Cyanocobalamin, Sh-Polypeptide-69, Sodium Benzoate, Tin Oxide, Sodium Dextran Sulfate, Superoxide Dismutase, CI 77891
Water
Skin ConditioningCanola Oil
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Octyldodecyl Myristate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Eriophorum Spissum Flower/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPEG-8
HumectantTocopherol
Antioxidant
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Canola Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Octyldodecyl Myristate, Glycerin, Propanediol, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Butylene Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Cetearyl Glucoside, Eriophorum Spissum Flower/Stem Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Allantoin, Xanthan Gum, PEG-8, Tocopherol, Potassium Sorbate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Sorbic Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Citric Acid
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinThis ingredient is also known as sweet almond oil. It is a lightweight, cold-pressed oil from the ripe seeds of the sweet almond tree.
Sweet almond oil is rich in skin-nourishing fatty acids such as oleic acid (55-86%) and linolenic acid (7-35%).
As an emollient, it softens and hydrates skin by forming a thin barrier that locks in moisture.
Clinical studies have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing. The CIR Expert Panel has evaluated the available safety data and concluded it is safe for topical use.
Because of the oleic acid content, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis OilTocopherol 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
