What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSqualane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydrogenated Ethylhexyl Olivate
EmollientTetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Acetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose Stearoxy Ether
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Palmaria Palmata Extract
Skin ProtectingMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Arginine
Masking
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingTremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract
Antioxidant
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables
Emollient
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine
Emulsifying
PCA
Humectant
Sodium Phytate
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Scenedesmus Rubescens Extract
Skin ConditioningMethylglucoside Phosphate
Skin ConditioningSodium Methyl Stearoyl Taurate
CleansingLeontopodium Alpinum Flower/Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Glycine
Buffering
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialAlanine
Masking
Copper Lysinate/Prolinate
Skin ConditioningLecithin
Emollient
Serine
Masking
Valine
MaskingResveratrol
Antioxidant
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Threonine
Isoleucine
Skin ConditioningPlankton Extract
Skin ConditioningArabidopsis Thaliana Extract
Antioxidant
Micrococcus Lysate
Skin ConditioningCoffea Arabica Seed Extract
Masking
Ilex Paraguariensis Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingHistidine
Humectant
Phenylalanine
Masking
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Ergothioneine
Antioxidant
Water, Squalane, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Ethylhexyl Olivate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables, Stearic Acid, Acetyl Glucosamine, Sorbitan Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Alcohol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium PCA, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose Stearoxy Ether, Sodium Lactate, Palmaria Palmata Extract, Maltodextrin, Arginine, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables, Aspartic Acid, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, PCA, Sodium Phytate, Bisabolol, Caffeine, Xanthan Gum, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Scenedesmus Rubescens Extract, Methylglucoside Phosphate, Sodium Methyl Stearoyl Taurate, Leontopodium Alpinum Flower/Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Glycine, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Alanine, Copper Lysinate/Prolinate, Lecithin, Serine, Valine, Resveratrol, Proline, Threonine, Isoleucine, Plankton Extract, Arabidopsis Thaliana Extract, Micrococcus Lysate, Coffea Arabica Seed Extract, Ilex Paraguariensis Leaf Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract, Cholesterol, Sodium Hydroxide, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Sodium Benzoate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Ergothioneine
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Cholesterol
Emollient
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables
Emollient
Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane
EmollientSodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
PEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Nylon-12
Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingHydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid
BufferingAmmonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Propylene Carbonate
SolventDisodium EDTA
Acrylonitrile/Methyl Methacrylate/Vinylidene Chloride Copolymer
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantLavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
T-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Sodium Citrate
BufferingLinalool
Perfuming
Isobutane
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
BHT
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Limonene
Perfuming
Water, Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Glycerin, Cholesterol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Ceramide NP, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Sodium Polyacrylate, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Nylon-12, Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Chlorphenesin, Caprylyl Glycol, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Propylene Carbonate, Disodium EDTA, Acrylonitrile/Methyl Methacrylate/Vinylidene Chloride Copolymer, Adenosine, Dipropylene Glycol, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, T-Butyl Alcohol, Mentha Piperita Oil, Sodium Citrate, Linalool, Isobutane, Ceramide EOP, BHT, Tocopherol, Limonene
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cholesterol is a lipid that is naturally found in human skin and is one of the three key components of your skin barrier. In skincare, it is an emollient and barrier-repairing ingredient.
It works by fitting directly into the lipid layers of skin to help restore structure and reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
This is a great ingredient for dry, compromised, or aging skin; our skin starts to produce less cholesterol with age.
Research shows cholesterol works best in combination with ceramides and fatty acids, the other two major components in your skin barrier.
Cholesterol is also a well-establish penetration enhancer and can help other actives absorb more effectively.
Cosmetic-grade cholesterol is usually derived from lanolin but plant and synthetic options also exist. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about their source of cholesterol.
Learn more about CholesterolGlycerin (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 the small fraction of sunflower seed oil (~1.5-2% of the whole oil) that cannot be turned into soap.
This concentrated fraction is rich in skin-nourishing compounds like free fatty acids, tocopherols, and phytosterols. Linoleic acid makes up about 48-74% of its composition.
Unsaponifiables have high antioxidant potential due to the tocopherols, carotenoids, and phenolic acids that help protect skin from free radical damage. On the other hand, linoleic acid supports the skin's barrier by replenishing ceramides and reducing transepidermal water loss.
A manufacturer-sponsored clinical study found that a cream with 2% of this ingredient increased skin moisturization by 48.6% after 1 hour and 34.2% after 24 hours.
Using this cream twice-daily for 4 weeks showed meaningful improvement in dryness, roughness, and desquamation (the shedding of dead skin cells).
Keep in mind this is a small, industry-funded study so it'd be great to see independent replication. However, the mechanism is consistent with well-establish linoleic and phytosterol research.
While this ingredient is generally considered safe, those with an Asteraceae/Compositae plant allergy should patch test this ingredient.
Fungal acne: this ingredient is not considered safe for fungal acne because the Malassezia yeast preferentially metabolizes in the C11-24 range. Linoleic acid falls into this range at C18.
Learn more about Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil UnsaponifiablesPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolTocopherol 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
