What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Sea Silt Extract
Skin ConditioningWater
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Glyceryl Oleate Citrate
Emulsifying
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Pearl Powder
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Sr-Hydrozoan Polypeptide-1
Humectant
Berberis Vulgaris Root Extract
AntimicrobialAcer Saccharum Extract
Skin ConditioningBoswellia Carterii Oil
Masking
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSea Water
HumectantCitrus Aurantium Bergamia Peel Oil
Perfuming
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
MaskingCitrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingLecithin
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Pelvetia Canaliculata Extract
Skin ProtectingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Saccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingSodium Acrylates Copolymer
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Phytate
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Calcium Gluconate
HumectantCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Disodium Phosphate
BufferingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Phosphate
BufferingLimonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Sea Silt Extract, Water, Propanediol, Glyceryl Oleate Citrate, Octyldodecanol, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Squalane, Pearl Powder, Beta-Glucan, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Sr-Hydrozoan Polypeptide-1, Berberis Vulgaris Root Extract, Acer Saccharum Extract, Boswellia Carterii Oil, Gluconolactone, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Sea Water, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Lecithin, Panthenol, Pelvetia Canaliculata Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Phytate, Benzyl Alcohol, Calcium Gluconate, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Disodium Phosphate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Phosphate, Limonene, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmollientSqualane
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Isohexadecane
EmollientAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Opuntia Ficus-Indica Flower Extract
Abrasive
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Chlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningLactic Acid
Buffering
Water, Propanediol, Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Squalane, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Hydroxyacetophenone, Isohexadecane, Allantoin, Linoleic Acid, Phospholipids, Phytosterols, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Hydrolyzed Opuntia Ficus-Indica Flower Extract, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Lactic Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolGlycerin (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 HydroxyacetophenonePropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolSqualane 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
