What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingOpuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Cereus Grandiflorus Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningIsohexadecane
EmollientDimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Cetyl Diglyceryl Tris(Trimethylsiloxy)Silylethyl Dimethicone
Emulsion Stabilising
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCoccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Corallina Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hexadecene
SolventOcimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Ocimum Basilicum Herb Extract
Perfuming
Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract
EmollientSolanum Melongena Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningOcimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract
TonicSodium Hydroxide
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Dimethicone, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Niacinamide, Propanediol, Glycerin, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cereus Grandiflorus Flower Extract, Isohexadecane, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Cetyl Diglyceryl Tris(Trimethylsiloxy)Silylethyl Dimethicone, Sorbitan Oleate, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Hexadecene, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Polysorbate 80, Phenoxyethanol, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Ocimum Basilicum Herb Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Squalane
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Methyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Beta-Sitosterol
Emulsion Stabilising
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Euphorbia Cerifera Wax
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Glyceryl Behenate
Emollient
Lecithin
Emollient
Polyacrylamide
Polysilicone-11
Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate
Emulsifying
Dextran
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Squalane, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Methyl Trimethicone, Glycerin, Beta-Sitosterol, Ceramide NP, Ceramide Ng, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Euphorbia Cerifera Wax, Tocopherol, Glyceryl Behenate, Lecithin, Polyacrylamide, Polysilicone-11, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Dextran, Oleic Acid, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Laureth-7, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer is a synthetically created polymer. It's used as a film-forming agent and used to thicken the consistency of products.
Think of it as a supportive ingredient that helps your gel-creams feel silky, "cloud cream-like", and spread evenly without being greasy.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel evaluated it (along with 22 other acryloyldimethyltaurate polymers) and concluded it's:
Due to its large molecular size, it sits on the surface of skin rather than penetrating it.
Learn more about Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp CopolymerDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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
