What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Squalane
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-72 Amide
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingXylitol
Humectant
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingArginine
Masking
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Glucose
Humectant
Acacia Senegal Gum
MaskingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
T-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Olivate, Squalane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Citrate, Sorbitan Olivate, Xylitylglucoside, Citric Acid, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-72 Amide, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Anhydroxylitol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Xylitol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Arginine, Sodium Gluconate, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Glucose, Acacia Senegal Gum, Xanthan Gum, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, T-Butyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Sorbate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Isohexadecane
EmollientNiacinamide
Smoothing
Dimethicone
Emollient
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Isopropyl Isostearate
Emollient
Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Trehalose
Humectant
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Dimethiconol
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Avena Sativa Peptide
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Isohexadecane, Niacinamide, Dimethicone, Lactic Acid, Isopropyl Isostearate, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Stearyl Alcohol, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Panthenol, Sodium Lactate, Trehalose, Cetearyl Glucoside, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Dimethiconol, PEG-100 Stearate, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum, Ascorbic Acid, Avena Sativa Peptide
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
You might know this ingredient as Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, a more stable version of ascorbic acid.
Like other types of vitamin C, this ingredient has many benefits including reducing wrinkles, skin soothing, dark spot fading, and fighting against free radicals.
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid interferes with the process of skin darkening, helping to reduce hyperpigmentation. It also encourages the skin to produce more collagen.
Once applied, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid is converted to Vitamin C deeper in the skin's layers. This process is slow but makes this ingredient more tolerable for skin.
The optimum pH range for this ingredient is 4 - 5.5
Learn more about 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic AcidCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholDimethicone 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 GlycerinSodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Sodium BenzoateWater. 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
