What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Rubus Fruticosus Fruit Extract
AstringentEuterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract
Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract
Skin Protecting
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientIsododecane
EmollientEthylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingArginine
Masking
Hydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydroxydecyl Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Trideceth-6
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Rubus Fruticosus Fruit Extract, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Isododecane, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Cetearyl Olivate, Panthenol, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Sorbitan Olivate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Carbomer, Arginine, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxydecyl Ubiquinone, Adenosine, Pentylene Glycol, Trideceth-6, Disodium EDTA, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Stearic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide Ns, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Ceramide As, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP
Snail Secretion Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Hydrolyzed Hibiscus Esculentus Extract
Skin ConditioningLupinus Albus Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningMoringa Oleifera Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Tromethamine
BufferingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Arachidic Acid
Cleansing
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Snail Secretion Filtrate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Hydrolyzed Hibiscus Esculentus Extract, Lupinus Albus Seed Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Water, Dimethicone, Sodium Polyacrylate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Palmitic Acid, Tromethamine, Stearic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Allantoin, Betaine, Myristic Acid, Arachidic Acid, Lauric Acid, Oleic Acid, Tocopherol, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.Â
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservativesÂ
Adenosine is in every living organism. It is one of four components in nucleic acids that helps store our DNA.
Adenosine has many benefits when used. These benefits include hydrating the skin, smoothing skin, and reducing wrinkles. Once applied, adenosine increases collagen production. It also helps with improving firmness and tissue repair.
Studies have found adenosine may also help with wound healing.
In skincare products, Adenosine is usually derived from yeast.
Learn more about AdenosineCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCarbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerCetearyl 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.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholCetearyl Olivate is a plant-derived emulsifier and texture enhancer. It helps keep the oil and water phases from separating so your formulas stay stable.
You'll likely see it combined with Sorbitan Olivate (together sold as the trade name Olivem 1000). This combination generates a liquid crystal structure that closely resemble the lipid organization of the stratum corneum.
These "skin-like" liquid crystals improve skin barrier integrity and promote the delivery of actives into the skin.
This ingredient is well-tolerated and has no significant sensitization data.
Because it is derived from the fatty acids in olive oil, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl OlivateEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateSodium Polyacrylate is the sodium salt of polyacrylic acid. It is used as an absorber, emollient, and stabilizer.
This ingredient is a super-absorbent polymer - meaning it can absorb 100 to 1000 times its mass in water. As an emollient, Sodium Polyacrylate helps soften and soothe skin. Emollients work by creating a barrier to trap moisture in. This helps keep your skin hydrated.
Sorbitan Olivate is created from the fatty acids in olive oil and sorbitol.
This ingredient is an oil in water emulsifier. It helps stabilize a product by preventing oils and waters from separating. Sorbitan Olivate also helps hydrate the skin.
This ingredient is also known as part of Olivem 1000, with Cetearyl Olivate being the other part.
According to a manufacturer, this ingredient helps preserve the natural microbiome of skin. Having a healthy microbiome helps keep our skin healthy and protects against harmful bacteria.
Please note, having a healthy microbiome is different from fungal acne; a healthy microbiome includes small amounts of yeast that normally live on your skin without causing problems.
Fungal acne happens when one type of yeast (Malassezia) grows out of control. This is usually because it's feeding on certain oils or fatty acids. Due to the olive oil base, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Sorbitan OlivateStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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
