What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Propanediol
Solvent
Dimethicone
Emollient
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Azelaic Acid
Buffering
Urea
Buffering
Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer
C10-30 Cholesterol/Lanosterol Esters
Emulsifying
Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Ferulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Allyl Methacrylates Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingBHT
Antioxidant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Propyl Gallate
Antioxidant
Propanediol, Dimethicone, Ascorbic Acid, Azelaic Acid, Urea, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, C10-30 Cholesterol/Lanosterol Esters, Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Tocopherol, Bakuchiol, Ferulic Acid, Retinol, Allyl Methacrylates Crosspolymer, BHT, Dipropylene Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Propyl Gallate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Bakuchiol is a plant-derived antioxidant from the seeds of the Psoralea corylifolia plant. It has antimicrobial, emollient, skin conditioning, and antioxidant properties.
You'll likely see it called a "retinol replacement" but the two are technically not related. This is because bakuchiol is able to flip many of the same switches in your skin cells to tell them to:
1) produce more collagen (type I, III, and IV)
2) activate the same genes retinoids do
Unlike retinoids, this ingredient will not increase photosensitivity and is safe to use during pregnancy (but please still check in with your doctor!).
The flagship clinical trial from Dhaliwal et al. 2019 found 0.5% bakuchiol (twice daily) and 0.5% retinol (once daily) reduced wrinkles and hyperpigmentation equally, but bakuchiol had significantly less irritation.
Systematic reviews also back this up:
Bakuchiol is comparable to retinol for photoaging but with better tolerability. It also has mild antibacterial properties against Cutibacterium acnes and antifungal activity in vitro against Candida and dermatophytes.
The reason bakuchiol works well is due to its structure; it is a meroterpene phenol, or a hybrid molecule. The phenol half acts as an antioxidant while the terpene half is fat-loving. This helps the molecule slip through the skin barrier.
This ingredient is usually used between 0.5-2%. Only one case of contact dermatitis has ever been reported for this ingredient.
Learn more about BakuchiolC10-30 Cholesterol/Lanosterol Esters isn't fungal acne safe.
Tocopherol 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 Tocopherol
